


Quantum Entanglement

by wiseturtlebear



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/F, Lena Luthor Knows Kara Danvers Is Supergirl, Lots and lots of Pining, Pre-Supergirl, Scientist Kara Danvers, Slow Burn, Smart Kara Danvers, house el was literally part of the science guild, kara teaches lena kryptonian and abt krypton, kara wants to uphold her family legacy, kara was raised on krypton like hello??, kinda bc she just figures out that kara is a kryptonian, making kara a reporter felt like the writers just slapped clarks story onto her, why the fuck would kara be a reporter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-28
Updated: 2019-11-28
Packaged: 2021-01-30 16:29:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 22,236
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21431248
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wiseturtlebear/pseuds/wiseturtlebear
Summary: au: Lena meets a soaking-wet Kara and gives her a lift. It doesn’t take long for Lena to fall head-over-heels with her — who wouldn’t fall for a vet school student who volunteered at animal shelters and smiled like the sun itself?an alternate take on how supercorp meets.
Relationships: Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor
Comments: 71
Kudos: 1227
Collections: Finishedstoriesmine, Gays in Earth 38





	1. i

Lena Luthor was tired of all these galas. Aching, blistering feet and cheeks that hurt from forcing a smile might have been worth it if the company was at least mildly enjoyable. Unfortunately, galas are nothing more than a viper’s nest where society’s wealthiest congregate and boast about how generous they are for donating the equivalent of loose change to charities.

Being the CEO of L-Corp meant that Lena _had _to attend. National City was well aware of her last name. She could feel millions of eyes on her every day, waiting for her to follow in her big brother’s steps. Lena was quite sane, thank you very much, but the rumours were beginning to get to her.

She wasn’t Lex. She donated ten percent of her income every year to charities around National City, as well as hosting fundraisers and developing life-saving medical technology. She had a children’s hospital in her name for God’s sake. But National City didn’t care about her good deeds.

_The only good Luthor is a dead Luthor._

Oh, how she remembered those words.

“Back home, Ms Luthor?” The limousine driver asked once she slipped inside.

Lena said, “Yes, please.”

She shut the door and the car drove off away from the gala. Lena felt like it was easier to breathe the farther they got from the venue.

Briefly, she glanced at the driver in front of her. Lena didn’t know his name but she had entrusted her assistant Jess with replacing her last driver after… the unfortunate incident. The incident being an attempt on her life, but that was neither here nor there.

Lena stared out the window at the city passing by. She was eager to get home and sink into a warm bath to melt away her troubles. A few bubbles, dark chocolate and a glass of wine wouldn’t hurt either.

Just as she was thinking of how nice and warm her bath would be, the first drops of rain landed against her window. She flinched at the sight of it, before sighing. Of course: another rainy night in National City.

“Don’t you worry, Ms Luthor.” The driver said, flashing her a smile in the mirror, “I have an umbrella with me. I’ll take you inside.”

Lena tilted her head at this. Is this a convenient way to get close to Lena to assassinate her, or was it simply an act of kindness? Most likely the former, if Lena’s track record was any indication. Still, Lena gave him a small smile in return.

If he did attempt to attack Lena, then at least the revolver tucked into her jacket pocket would have some use.

The limousine continued on its’ way. Lena watched the people of National City. Most were running to find shelter while some were dancing and playing in the rain. Lena envied the latter: to be so carefree and adventurous just wasn’t in the cards for a Luthor.

Lena had expected a quiet night drive. She would get to her destination, get to her penthouse and call it a night. But, like most things in Lena’s life, things didn’t go according to plan.

Five minutes from Lena’s apartment, she saw something that caught her eye. A woman, drenched from head-to-toe, was standing at a bus stop. She was shivering and her arms were wrapped around her body in an attempt to get warm. The sight of her nearly broke Lena’s heart.

The car had pulled to a stop for a red light. For a moment, Lena wanted to invite the woman in. The car was warm and Lena could take her home to dry off. But another part of Lena reminded her that not many people would like to share the same environment with a Luthor.

She could stay silent and drive off into the night. She could. She didn’t owe this woman anything.

The door opened. Lena only realised she was the one who opened it when she was looking up into blue eyes and gripping the door handle.

The world stood still. Blue eyes were locked onto green eyes, wide and curious. Lena was suddenly filled with anxiety, realising it was now getting uncomfortable and she hasn’t said anything.

_Pull it together, Lena_, she told herself, _you’re a Luthor, show some decorum_.

Lena flashed the woman a dazzling smile. The same smile she used when she knew she was going to win over an investor. The woman’s eyebrows raised and she smiled hesitantly back.

“You poor thing, you’re soaked.” Lena said, “Do you need a lift?”

Nervous laughter — and a snort? — bubbled out of the woman and Lena found herself amused.

“No, no, it’s fine.” The woman said, not exactly sounding confident.

Loud honks could be heard behind the car. Lena looked and found that the light was green but the driver had yet to drive off. Lena glanced at him through the rear-view mirror and he smiled back. She made a note to tip him extra. Cars started going around the limo and Lena focused back on the woman.

Lena pushed out of her bottom lip in an almost-pout, saying, “Are you sure? My apartment isn’t far from here, you could dry off until the rain stops.”

She watched as the woman’s resolve crumbled with each passing second. Lena could feel the cold air seeping into the car. She glanced from Lena to the cars behind them, almost in awe of this small act of kindness. Lena knew the feeling.

“There are seat warmers in here, you know,” Lena said.

That was the final nail in the coffin. The woman was shivering and puffs of air could be seen leaving her mouth. She dipped her head and smiled as she stepped towards the car. Lena grinned, sliding along the leather seats to give her some room.

The woman shut the door behind them, still smiling sheepishly at Lena. She was cute, in a puppy-ish way. She reminded Lena of a golden retriever.

The car drove off and Lena watched the woman practically melt into the seats.

“You weren’t lying about those seat warmers,” she murmured, her teeth chattering.

Lena felt bad for the shivering woman and began taking her coat off so she could wear it. Immediately, the woman’s eyes grew wide and she said, “No, no, I couldn’t possibly—“

“Nonsense,” Lena said, continuing to take her coat off.

Sun-kissed hands reached out and curled around Lena’s wrists. Lena froze. The two women simply stared at each other, nervous and unsure. Lena couldn’t remember the last time someone touched her that wasn’t a socially-expected handshake or cheek-kiss.

The woman blushed bright red and said, “I-It’s such a nice jacket. I’d feel bad for getting it wet.”

Lena felt her own cheeks heat up. The woman was still holding her wrists and her skin was so warm, despite the water that clung to her skin. Was it normal to be so warm after standing in the rain? Those seat warmers must be magic after all.

“If I can’t give you my coat,” Lena said, licking at her lips, “can I at least have your name?”

The woman pulled her hands away and Lena felt the absence immediately. She didn’t show that externally, of course. The woman laughed nervously and adjusted her glasses, an adorable gesture in Lena’s eyes.

“Right, m-my name!” She stammered out, still smiling, “Kara Danv-vers. My name is K-Kara Danvers.”

Lena almost cooed at the way Kara’s teeth chattered from the cold. Kara. What a lovely name. A lovely name that brought a warm feeling to Lena’s chest, only for fear to consume it when Lena realised she’d have to tell Kara her last name, too.

She could already see Kara’s dazzling smile turn into a scowl when the dreaded “L-word” was said. Still, Lena wasn’t one to hide her identity and she would take whatever reaction Kara gave with her head held high.

“Lena.” She said, holding her hand out, “Lena Luthor.”

Kara’s eyes went wide and Lena’s stomach dropped. Here it came…

“_You’re_ Lena Luthor? You look so much younger in person.” Kara said, a slight awe in her voice.

Lena… hadn’t been expecting that. She had had many reactions to her last name in the past and nearly none of them were ones of awe. Kara Danvers was something else.

Lena smiled — genuinely smiled. She said, “Then I should surely fire whoever is taking such horrid photos of me, in that case.”

Kara only giggled. She was still shaking but less so than before.

“You know, that’s probably the best reaction I’ve gotten from revealing I’m a Luthor,” Lena admitted, eyeing Kara’s reaction.

“You’re the youngest billionaire in National City, you had a PhD at 24…” Kara said, almost reverent, “What other reaction _should_ I have had?”

Lena understood the implication and was grateful for it. It was Kara’s way of extending an olive branch, in a fashion that Lena had never experienced before. So what if Lena was blushing a bit?

“Oh, I could think of a few.” Lena said, grinning at Kara like they were in on a joke that only they understood.

The car engine hummed softly beneath them. Lena took a moment to examine the woman in front of her. She was wearing a white button-up shirt that was tucked into black pants and rolled up to show off impressive biceps. Biceps that Lena _certainly_ doesn’t linger on. Kara’s hair was drenched so previously blonde hair was now a darker colour. She had flawless bone structure and Lena’s eyes wandered over broad shoulders and a tiny waist.

But it was the eyes that drew Lena in. Big, brilliant sapphire eyes that seemed to glow under the moonlight.

“Thank you so much, by the way,” Kara said, smiling.

Lena waved her off, saying, “No need. I couldn’t just leave you out in the cold like that.”

“Plenty of people would.” Kara argued.

“I’m not like most people,” Lena said. She hadn’t meant to make that sound so arrogant-sounding and she hoped Kara didn’t take it that way.

She didn’t. Instead, Kara bit down on her bottom lip for a moment before saying, “No, you aren’t, are you?”

Lena blamed the way her chest constricted on the champagne she had earlier that evening. It definitely had nothing to do with the pretty blonde sitting in front of her.

Before Lena knew it, the car slowed to a stop. Lena glanced outside and found that they were outside Lena’s apartment building. Kara, too, was looking outside — actually, it was more like gasping and pressing her face against the car window.

“Ms Luthor, would you and your friend like to share the umbrella?” Her driver asked, adding, “You can return it tomorrow, if you’d like.”

Lena smiled at him, saying, “That’s kind of you. Thank you.”

He only smiled at her and handed her the umbrella.

Before she could take it, however, Kara plucked it out of the man’s hands. Lena looked at her amused, an small smile on her face.

Kara smiled back and said, “It’s still raining. You’ll get wet if you go outside first. Allow me.”

Lena held her hands up in mock-surrender. What a gentlewoman.

The blonde got out of the car and was immediately assaulted by the rain. Lena watched Kara open out the umbrella before holding it over the door. Kara held her hand out for Lena to hold and Lena swore her heart skipped a beat at the sight.

She slipped out of the car, shivering at the cold. Kara shut the door behind her. It was only until they were standing face-to-face that Lena realised she was still holding Kara’s hand. The two blushed and dropped the hold, laughing nervously.

“Just a moment,” Lena said, motioning for Kara to follow her.

The blonde obliged and dutifully held the umbrella over Lena’s head. Lena rolled her eyes when she realised Kara was allowing herself to get wet again to keep Lena (mostly) dry.

Lena knocked on the driver’s seat window. The window rolled down and the driver looked up at Lena. She noted that the name-tag pinned to his breast pocket read “JONATHAN SANTIAGO”.

“Ms Luthor?” He asked, adjusting his hat.

Lena opened her purse and pulled out a few hundred dollar notes. She held out the money to him and said, “For the drive and the umbrella.”

Santiago shook his head and said, “Ma’am, I couldn’t—“

“Nonsense,” Lena said, smiling at him, “Take it, Mr Santiago. That’s an order.”

He deflated with a smile to match hers. He took the notes, saying, “You’re too kind, Ms Luthor.”

“That’s a new one.”

Mr Santiago drove off a few moments later. Lena turned to look back at Kara, who was smiling fondly at her. Lena looked away to make sure Kara didn’t see her blush. A Luthor doing a good deed? Someone inform the press! Or don’t, they wouldn’t believe you anyway.

The two women walked towards the building.

Kara said, “Do you really live in one of these apartments?”

Lena laughed and wrapped her hand around Kara’s bicep as they walked.

“Oh darling,” she said, “I live in the penthouse.”

* * *

Judging by the look on Kara’s face, she had never been in a penthouse suite before.

The two of them were sitting in Lena’s living room. Soft music was playing on the smart speaker and Lena had the heater on, too. Kara had already dried off and was changed into one of Lena’s robes — not the silk ones, because Lena would never survive the sight.

Kara was drying her hair off using one of Lena’s spare towels, while Lena was enjoying the show.

“This place is amazing,” Kara said, “look at the view!”

Lena smiled, saying, “Few people get to see the city from this high up. How is it?”

Kara shrugged and said, “I’ve been higher.”

Lena raised an eyebrow. The way Kara worded that was odd. Kara seemed to realise this because she quickly looked at Lena with wide eyes.

“I mean, because I’ve been… on a plane!” Kara said, laughing nervously, “Yeah, I’ve been _way_ up there. Super high. Yeah…”

Lena laughed and didn’t think much of this. Kara was just a naturally awkward person, it seemed. It added to her charm.

Kara continued to fluff up her hair with towel. Lena was instantly reminded of a golden retriever being towel-dried after a bath and her heart swelled at the thought. Drier now, Kara’s hair was getting blonder by the minute.

“Want to tell me why you were stranded in the rain?” Lena asked, sipping from her glass.

The champagne tasted sweeter when Lena drunk it with a pretty woman.

Kara said, “I was coming back from a party. My friend was supposed to be my ride home but he, uh, went home with someone and well—“

“Ah,” Lena said, “so you had to take public transport.”

Kara nodded sheepishly. Lena wanted to pinch her cheeks and took another sip to refrain from doing so.

“No car? A motorcycle, even.” Lena asked.

Her thoughts wandered to Kara wearing a leather jacket, sitting on a motorcycle. Bad thoughts. Very bad thoughts.

Kara shook her head, saying, “Can’t exactly afford either of those. My family is already under pressure paying for my college fees and I’d feel bad asking for anything more.”

Lena’s heart clenched. Student debt is a bitch. Lena’s university course was extremely expensive but it made little more than a dent in the Luthor fortune she inherited. Money was nothing to Lena, but it was a lot to most people.

For a moment, Lena considered paying for Kara’s college fees and a motorcycle. The thought was banished from her mind as quickly as it came. For one, Lena only just met this woman. For all she knew, Kara could be lying about this and looking for sympathy or something. For another, most people would take offence to such an offer and it would cross so many boundaries between them.

Instead of dwelling on her thoughts, Lena asked, “What are you studying at university?”

Instantly, Kara’s face lit up. It was like watching the sun rise above the horizon.

“I’m currently in my first year of vet school.” Kara said, grinning, “It’s been so interesting and I’m having so much fun with volunteering and stuff. I’m hoping to become a zoo veterinarian, you see, because the animals on this planet—“

Kara cut herself off, saying, “B-Because of course, it’s _this_ planet. What other planet would there be animals on?”

She laughed loudly to cover up her awkwardness and Lena crinkled her nose at the second-hand embarrassment. This was the second time that Kara had said something odd. She was beginning to see a pattern but couldn’t figure out what it was leading too.

Lena leaned over and caught Kara’s wrist in her free hand. Kara froze under her touch.

She smiled and said, “Relax, Kara. Tell me about the animals.”

“Right, yeah,” Kara said, visibly relaxing, “Well, I’ve always loved big cats! Lions were always one of my favourites — did you know that their roar can be heard from five miles away? That’s just so cool to me. And I always thought it was interesting that the females are the primary hunters of their species. Oh! There’s also jaguars, those big guys have a bite force of 503.6 kilogram force — which is about 4938.6 newtons, approximately—“

“Wait,” Lena said, eyes wide, “did you just mentally convert kilogram force into newtons?”

The more Lena thought about, the more the calculation seemed sound. And Kara just spat it out like it was a simple addition problem.

Kara flushed and said, “Y-Yes? Is that a bad thing?”

Lena shook her head, saying, “No, no. It’s just impressive, that’s all.”

Kara blushed at the praise and dipped her head. Lena drank her champagne while eyeing Kara. She was smarter than she looked.

When Kara didn’t continue speaking, Lena said, “Are you a fan of bears?”

Blue eyes shone with delight as Kara said, “Yes! Black bears are quite cute — scientific name _Ursus americanus_ — and did you know that they don’t actually hibernate? They just get kinda lazy around winter. And these guys eat _anything_. Fish, berries, veggies, even carrion which is _ew_.”

“Do you just… know animal scientific names?” Lena asked, thoroughly intrigued.

Kara nodded, biting her lip and looking up at Lena.

“Alright then,” Lena said, “Coyote.”

“_Canis latrans_.” Kara said, spitting the name out without a second thought.

Lena raised an eyebrow, saying, “OK, how about a gorilla?”

Kara adjusted her glasses and asked, “Uh, w-western or eastern?”

“I’m sure you know both.” Lena said, growing more and more intrigued by Kara’s hidden intellect.

“Well, the western gorilla is the _Gorilla gorilla_,” Kara said, “while the eastern gorilla is the _Gorilla beringei_. The, um, the eastern gorilla is mostly in lowland tropical forests while the western one is from tropical forests and swamps at altitudes as high as eight thousand feet.”

For the first time in a long time, Lena felt like she was back at a laboratory. She felt she was about to dissect a specimen and analyse all the tissue she could find. Kara Danvers hid a brilliant mind behind those pearly-white teeth and blue eyes and Lena wanted nothing more than to pick her brain apart.

But she also didn’t want Kara running for the hills. Here, chatting with Kara, was the closest Lena had to being with a friend since coming to National City. It was refreshing and Lena had forgotten all about that bath she wanted.

So Lena simply held Kara’s hand and said, “You’re delightful company, Kara. Do you know that?”

Kara laughed — there was that snort again. Lena smiled and withdrew her hand. Kara looked like she wanted to say something more but she was taken away by her phone buzzing on the table. Lena almost jumped at the sound and Kara murmured an apology.

The blonde woman looked at the screen and her eyes grew wide.

“Hey, Alex,” Kara said, holding the phone to her ear, “Sorry, I totally forgot to text you back… No, no, I’m fine, I’m at home.”

Lena guffawed and took a sip of her champagne. She sorely hoped that this _Alex_ wasn’t Kara’s boyfriend (or even girlfriend) that was calling her right now. She drenched the bitter taste in her mouth with champagne and told herself it helped.

“…Mhm, yep. Love you, too. Bye.” Kara hung up the phone and slumped against Lena’s couch with a groan.

“She’s so… _ugh_.” Kara grumbled into her hands.

A she? Lena tried to sound nonchalant as she asked, “Clingy girlfriend?”

Kara sat up straight to look at Lena. She was red-faced, saying, “What? No! No, she’s just my sister, I— I’m not _gay_. Not like that’s a bad thing, or anything! I’m just— I’m _straight_…”

Lena deflated internally. Of course this beautiful, animal-loving, intelligent woman wasn’t interested in Lena. She cursed herself for jumping to the first person who showed her basic respect and kindness.

Externally, she smiled at Kara and said, “Relax, darling, I was only asking.”

Kara licked at her lips and Lena had to remind herself that Kara was straight.

“I should probably go.” Kara said, pouting.

Lena hummed to hide her disappointment. She looked at the window and said, “It stopped raining. Take a change of clothes, I insist.”

Kara had already begun to decline. Lena was on her feet and simply walked over to Kara and cupped her cheek. It earned the desired reaction: Kara froze, eyes wide and mouth gaping like a fish. Lena smiled down at her.

“I _insist_.”

In the end, Kara stood in her doorway with a new set of clothes and a bag of her wet clothes. The two women stood in the doorway, awkward smiles on their faces.

“I can’t thank you enough for tonight.” Kara said.

Lena decided that it was now or never. She said, “If you’d like, this doesn’t have to be a one-time-thing.”

Kara tilted her head and Lena swallowed her anxiety down.

“We can meet in less… _wet_ conditions.” Lena said, adding, “Say, lunch?”

Kara’s eyes seemed to sparkle. Lena had never met someone with such expressive eyes. It was as if the ocean was trapped in Kara’s eyes. Lena couldn’t tear her gaze away.

“Well, I _do_ have to return these clothes,” Kara said, pretending to think about it.

The two women broke down into giggles at Kara’s antics.

Lena said, “So, how does Tuesday at two sound?”

Kara grinned and said, “It sounds perfect. Do you want my number or…”

Lena hadn’t even thought about that. It had been so long since she had exchanged numbers with someone like this — usually, her secretary Jess just paged people through to her. This was different. Intimate, almost.

After exchanging numbers and awkward goodbyes, Lena watched Kara leave down the hallway. When Kara departed with a final wave and smile, Lena shut the door behind her and leaned against it. She felt warm all over. The sound of the door automatically locking behind her was what brought Lena to reality.

She looked down at the phone in her hand. Kara’s contact information was open and only the name had to be filled in. Lena smiled to herself before typing.

[Kara <3]

What an interesting character. For once, Lena looked forward to her Tuesday lunch.


	2. ii

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> supercorp lunch date uwu

Tuesday took far too long to finally arrive.

Lena had been anxiously awaiting her lunch date with Kara Danvers. Sunday and Monday had passed by at the pace of a snail. Lena had to sit through meeting after meeting, eyes glancing at the time every so often. Even her secretary could tell something was wrong.

When asked about her behaviour, Lena told Jess that nothing was wrong and to take extra time on her lunch break. Jess didn’t question her after that.

Monday night, Lena had the sudden fear that Kara may have forgotten about their lunch date. Or that maybe Kara had second thoughts about associating with a Luthor.

Against her better judgement, Lena had sent Kara a brief text:

> : I hope you haven’t planned to bring any of your own lunch tomorrow.

Much to Lena’s joy, Kara’s reply was immediate and Lena nearly squealed upon receiving it.

> Kara <3: lena, you can’t pay for lunch as well :(((
> 
> : I can and I will, Ms Danvers.
> 
> Kara <3: :((((
> 
> : Is there any restaurant you like in particular? Any dietary requirements I should consider?

Lena laughed at Kara’s response.

> Kara <3: i eat anything and everything. and bbb is pretty good.
> 
> : what’s bbb?
> 
> Kara <3: big belly burger!
> 
> : I’ve never been.
> 
> Kara <3: WHAT
> 
> Kara <3: HOW HAVE YOU NEVER HAD BBB??
> 
> Kara <3: no thats it, its decided, bbb it is
> 
> : Alright, any recommendations?
> 
> Kara <3: oh golly, there’s so many
> 
> Kara <3: i usually get their triple cheeseburger, cheese and bacon burger, jalapeno burger w extra onion, and a beef brick. their garlic fries are pretty good, too
> 
> : Their beef what? And is that your order for one sitting?
> 
> Kara <3: it’s a beef burger with red onion rings and baby cos lettuce, its sooo good
> 
> Kara <3: and yeah, i eat a lot. thats why you should let Me buy my food
> 
> : Darling, I say this with no ill will: save your money. This order is less than loose change to me.
> 
> Kara <3: ok :(((
> 
> Kara <3: but ill find a way to pay for smth else!!
> 
> : Good luck with that, dear.

That had been the end of that _riveting_ conversation. In all honesty, Lena had spent that conversation in the bath tub and nearly dropped her phone into the water multiple times. But she would rather pay for a new phone than not be able to reply to a text from Kara Danvers.

Tuesday morning was excruciating for Lena. She was glad she asked Jess to remove anything that required focus from her schedule because she truly could not concentrate. At 12:23, she tried doing yoga. At 12:49, she tried taking a trip down to the labs to ask about the latest prototypes being tested. At 1:14, she responded to emails and refrained from watching videos about zoo animals. At 1:36, Lena went over her notes about specific zoo animals and pre-made quiz questions she wanted to ask Kara.

Five minutes to two o’clock, Jess handed Lena the takeaway bag from Big Belly Burger — Lena never got her own food because she didn’t quite like having her food spat in.

“Here you are, Ms Luthor,” Jess said, adding, “I thought you were only having Ms Danvers over for lunch?”

Lena took the bag with a smile and said, “I am. She has quite the appetite, I’m told.”

Jess made a face before leaving. Lena couldn’t blame her. Once she arranged the food properly on her desk, she realised how much food Kara actually ate.

Then the wait began. Two o’clock had come and gone, leaving an anxious Lena Luthor behind. She kept checking the time and made sure that she had said two o’clock. Maybe Kara wasn’t going to show up? What if she changed her mind and didn’t want to eat with a Luthor? Or what if she got into some horrible accident and—

“I’m so sorry I’m late.”

Lena’s head snapped up. Standing in the doorway to her office was Kara Danvers. She was wearing navy blue scrubs under a white lab coat. She was wearing heavy boots, a backpack and those glasses that Lena was growing fond of. Today, her blonde hair was pulled into a tight bun, likely a safety precaution.

Lena’s heart leapt at the sight of her.

“Kara,” Lena said, a little breathlessly.

She rose to her feet and made her way over to Kara. Kara seemed to deflate with relief at the sight of Lena’s smile.

“Hey, gosh,” Kara said, “traffic was a nightmare today. I would’ve texted but I didn’t want to disturb you.”

“Nonsense, text me whenever.” Lena said firmly.

Lena went in for a cheek-kiss because it was what she was used to. It was the right amount of friendly and feminine that was expected of her in social situations, at least in her circles. That wasn’t what Kara went in for, however. Suddenly, Lena was engulfed in strong, muscular arms and pressed into Kara’s warm chest. Lena had never been so lost for words.

In all honesty, Lena couldn’t remember the last time she was hugged by anyone. This was… nice. Kara felt nice. Smelled nice, too. Lena found herself hugging back. Pale arms wrapped around a small waist for only a moment.

When they pulled away, Lena looked away quickly to avoiding showing off her red-face. Kara ended up filling the silence for her.

“I brought your clothes back. They’re in my backpack,” Kara said, before looking around Lena’s office, “Wow, this is nice. L-Corp looks…”

Lena said, “Not as nefarious as the press makes it out to be?”

Kara scoffed and said, “Yeah, well, the press in this city isn’t exactly a beacon of truth.”

Lena filed that way in the _Kara Danvers_ folder.

“One triple cheeseburger, one cheese and bacon burger, one jalapeño burger — _with_ extra onion, I remembered — and a beef brick. Oh, and garlic fries.” Lena said, gesturing to Kara’s food.

Kara stopped walking towards the desk and said, “Oh no, this won’t do.”

Lena whipped her head around in fear. What did she do wrong? Was that the wrong order? She had triple-checked Kara’s text, so that wasn’t it. Was the food cold or something? What—

Kara grabbed Lena by the shoulders and laughed. Lena was still frozen in her hands. Kara was so pretty up close.

“Relax, Lena,” Kara said, “I’m just talking about the desk. We can’t eat there! I feel like I’m at a job interview or something. C’mon, we can eat on the couch.”

Kara squeezed Lena’s shoulders before going over and collecting the wrapped-up burgers. Lena let out a sigh of relief, cursing herself for being so paranoid. It was just burgers, for God’s sake. She could do this.

The two moved to the couch. Lena carried her burger in one hand and bottle of lemon water in the other. Kara placed her burgers onto the table, in a rather cute formation. Lena watched as Kara took off her backpack and then her lab coat.

_Oh_. Lena didn’t realise that Kara’s scrubs would show off her biceps so much.

Forcing herself not to stare, Lena took a seat on the couch.

“Is that all you’re eating?” Kara asked, pouting at Lena’s burger.

Lena rolled her eyes, saying, “Not all of us have a super-fast metabolism like you do, dear.”

Kara did that nervous laugh again and said, “Yeah, _super_, ha-ha.”

Lena squinted at Kara before moving on. She unwrapped her burger and was pleasantly surprised.

“Is that the veggie burger?” Kara asked, leaning forward.

Lena nodded before taking a bite. It was quite a mouthful, even with the small bite Lena took. A bit messy, too, unlike most of what Lena ate. It was a nice change.

“I didn’t know you were a vegetarian,” Kara said, unwrapping her burgers, “That explains why you’ve got such a great body.”

She choked mid-swallow.

“Oh golly, here!” Kara said, handing Lena her bottle of water.

When Lena recovered, she waved Kara off and said, “I’m OK, I just… wasn’t expecting that. I’m not exactly used to compliments that aren’t thinly-veiled threats.”

Kara adjusted her glasses and looked at Lena like a wounded puppy. Lena just took another bite of her burger. The sharp cheese really made this burger.

“Well, it’s true. You’re beautiful, Lena.” Kara said.

The way she spoke left no room for argument. Lena looked away as her cheeks filled with blood. Kara was so earnest and sweet and _good_. Lena had forgotten what that looked like.

“You’re not too bad yourself, Ms Danvers,” Lena shot back.

Kara’s nervous laughter was back and this time, gibberish came along, too.

They continued to eat their meals. In the time that took Lena to finish one burger and a bottle of water, Kara had finished four burgers and a packet of fries. Lena was impressed, if a bit concerned. Eating like that would surely take a toll on one’s body eventually.

But Kara _did_ look cute when she filled her cheeks with food.

“I’m so full. Thanks for this, Lena.” Kara said, dazzling her with a smile.

Folding up her wrapper, Lena said, “There’s no need to thank me. And I have to admit: Big Belly Burger is pretty good.”

“Right?” Kara said, eyes wide, “I told you so.”

Lena asked, “I’m curious. What did you do today at your veterinarian school?”

Kara leaned into the couch, saying, “Well, today was kind of a slow day. I have lectures from nine to eleven. Those are kinda fun because my professor tells us about his experiences as a zoo vet. Oh, and then I had some practical classes. I got to use my stethoscope on this cute Labrador — well, I tried to. My stethoscope has been broken for a while but I don’t wanna ask my parents for any more money.”

Sorrow filled Lena’s heart: it wasn’t fair that Kara couldn’t afford things like this. Then again, there was nothing stopping Lena from buying the best stethoscope that money could buy and _accidentally_ slipping it into Kara’s backpack.

“After one, I'm basically free most Tuesdays.” Kara said.

Lena raised an eyebrow and asked, “Is that so? In that case, this lunch date of ours could potentially become a weekly thing?”

It was hard for Lena to put her heart out like this. But she was so lonely and Kara was the first person to really make Lena happy and _interested_. It was hard being lonely in a city filled with millions of people.

If this backfired on Lena, at least she could say she tried.

Kara’s face lit up as she said, “Yes! I’d love to.”

Lena matched her smile, saying, “Then it’s decided. Lunch on Tuesdays. Just you and me.”

She rose to her feet, feeling Kara’s eyes following her. Lena quickly reminded herself that Kara was (unfortunately) straight and she was just curious as to where Lena was going mid-conversation. Lena grabbed her laptop from her desk.

“I,” Lena said, walking back to Kara, “am going to test that big brain of yours, Ms Danvers.”

Kara looked intrigued. Her blue eyes seemed to shine and a tentative smile grew on her face. She really was _that_ beautiful, huh.

Lena shook that thought away. She set the laptop on the desk and opened all the documents she had in the “Kara Danvers” folder.

“OK, hit me.” Kara said, confidently.

Lena liked Kara being confident a little too much. Ignoring this, she said, “Let’s start with a little warm-up. Species names. Let’s start with the humble but industrially-valuable sheep.”

“_Ovis aries_,” Kara said, adding, “They belong to the ovis genus which are mammals.”

Lena smirked at her, saying, “Show-off.”

“Can’t help being right.” Kara said with a shrug.

“Ferret.”

Kara said, “_Mustela putorius furo_. Not to be confused with the weasel, which is just _Mustela_. They are the domesticated form of the European polecat. Which is _Mustela putorius_, in case you were going to ask.”

“Alright, what about an iguana?” Lena asked.

Kara grinned and said, “Not fair, putting a trick question in here. Iguana is a genus, while the scientific name of the American iguana is _Iguana iguana_. And, yes, I find that both stupid and hilarious.”

Lena had thrown that question in to throw Kara off. Instead, Kara smoothly dodged her attempt with that damn grin in place, too. It was kind of attractive if Lena was being honest.

“OK,” Lena said, “Crocodile.”

“Which one, nile or saltwater?” Kara asked.

Lena hadn’t even known that there was two different types of crocodiles. She shrugged and said, “Nile.”

“Easy: _Crocodylus niloticus_.”

“OK, last one,” Lena said, smiling at the screen, “golden retriever.”

Kara laughed and said, “_Canis lupus familiaris_. Dog breeds don’t deviate from their scientific name, you know that. And why a golden retriever?”

Lena raised an eyebrow, saying, “Do you really not see the resemblance?”

“Between who?” Kara asked, tilting her head like the dog in question.

“Them and you, silly.” Lena said.

Kara almost looked offended at first, before shrugging and saying, “There are worse dogs to look like. I’ll take it. What else you got for me?”

Lena glanced at Kara. The light was hitting Kara _just right_. She seemed to glow and Lena was taken aback by how pretty she actually was. And it helped that Lena knew that there was a brain behind that pretty face, too. If only Kara was interested in women…

“How well-versed are you in animal diets?” Lena asked, trying not to dwell on her thoughts.

Kara grinned and said, “Find out.”

Oh, Lena intended to.

* * *

As it turned out, Kara Danvers knew a lot more about animals than just some fun facts and scientific names. Kara went on about various animal diets and behaviours, much to Lena’s intrigue. While she wasn’t the biggest fan of wildlife, hearing Kara talk about them with so much passion made her interested. Kara had a way of capturing Lena’s attention like no one else could.

Kara was delightful company and Lena couldn’t get enough.

Lena had to (regretfully) bring an end to their lunch date at four o’clock because she had an urgent call with an investor that couldn’t be rescheduled. Kara had left but not before hugging Lena for the second time that day. Lena was growing… _accustomed_ to hugs now.

The call had gone better than expected. Mostly because Lena was in a much better mood than she usually was — something even the investor made note of. It was hard not to be in a good mood after having lunch with Kara Danvers, human sunshine.

For the rest of the day, Lena simply handled paperwork and replied to emails. It was a particularly slow day and Lena was grateful. She couldn’t remember the last time she felt so relaxed.

Damn serotonin.

“Ms Luthor,” Jess’s voice came through the desk phone, “Would you like to discuss your schedule for tomorrow now?”

Lena pressed a button and said, “Come in, Jess.”

A few moments later and Jess entered Lena’s office, clipboard and folders in hand.

Lena melted into her seat, saying, “Pour me some champagne. The Dom Perignon Rose, it’s the—“

“The pink one, I know,” Jess said, already walking towards the liquor cabinet.

Lena’s liquor cabinet is a necessity: winding down from a long day at work is done best with a glass of alcohol, in her opinion. She kept her favourite brands here and the more flashy, expensive brands at home.

“You can have some as well, if you’d like,” Lena murmured once Jess handed her the glass.

Jess said, “That’s generous but I have to drive home, Ms Luthor.”

Drive. Lena’s mind drifted to a certain veterinarian in training who didn’t have the means to drive. _Could_ Kara even drive? She didn’t even know if she had a license or not. And to think Lena almost bought Kara a motorcycle on a whim.

“You’re booked most of the day, with a board meeting starting at nine and ending hopefully around eleven,” Jess said, going through her clipboard, “You also have an consultation with Dr Emmerson about that prototype you were working on. Would you like to schedule that in for three or six o’clock?”

Lena said, “Three o’clock will be fine, thank you. Anything else?”

“That’s all.” Jess said, straightening her back out.

Lena took a sip of her champagne and said, “Go home, Jess. I’ve already called my driver, he should be downstairs.”

“I…” Jess began, but deflated and said, “Have a good night, Ms Luthor.”

Lena watched her leave. Soon, Lena was left alone with her thoughts in an empty office. The glass in her hand was cold and her mind drifted to a warm, cozy bed waiting for her at home. Then she remembered her long day tomorrow and grimaced.

The board meeting would be a headache, as it always was. Lena hoped that Jess would remember to buy her that extra strong coffee to keep her alert during the meeting. Then there was the consultation with Dr Emmerson. Jess, being a secretary, wasn’t familiar with the prototype being built but Lena was all too familiar.

According to Lex’s research about Kryptonian physiology, Kryptonians had few known weaknesses. One of those being the famous kryptonite which isn’t exactly easy to come by. It would cost a small fortune to acquire even a handful of the rock. And apparently there’s various types of kryptonite besides green, which would probably be even harder to come across.

The only other weakness is the reversal of the source of their power: sunlight. Kryptonians gain their powers from Earth’s yellow sun as their cells absorb the solar radiation. Kryptonite corrupts the solar radiation which is what causes such fatal results. In order to deplete them of their power without fatality, red solar radiation (like Krypton’s native red sun) have to replace the yellow solar radiation in their cells.

That’s where Lena’s prototype came into play: she was attempting to perfect Kryptonian solar radiation technology. Lex’s research was focused on creating weapons but Lena wanted to think bigger. As far as Lena knew, Kryptonian cells were the most efficient storage unit of solar radiation in the galaxy. If she could mimic this ability, L-Corp could be the first company to use clean, effective solar power. This could open doors to a cleaner, safer Earth—

If _only_ Lena could get her hands on a Kryptonian. She doubted she could just call up Superman and ask him for a chunk of his cells, as favour since Lex and him were _such_ great pals before Lex tried to kill him. For now, she was limited to the resources she had available.

Lena placed her glass onto the desk. She could feel the stresses of the day making her muscles grow heavy. Her head was filled with theories and equations and suns—

The sun. Warm, bright. Just like Kara Danvers. The same Kara that brightened Lena’s day, that loved animals and smiled like the sun itself. Who was also swamped in student debt and couldn’t afford the things she needed — or wanted.

Lena’s phone was in her hand before she could stop herself.

> : Do you have a driver’s license?

Lena’s anxiety increased as the seconds ticked on. She told herself that this was just a normal, friendly question. It wasn’t crossing any boundaries and she shouldn’t expect resistance or reprimand. But that didn’t stop her fingers from fidgeting.

> Kara <3: yeah, a motorcycle license. my reaction times are too fast for a car :((

A laugh escaped Lena’s mouth. Kara was just too cute.

> Kara <3: why? :o
> 
> : Just curious.
> 
> Kara <3: okie dokie
> 
> Kara <3: i had fun today. can’t wait to see you next week!
> 
> : Me too, Kara.
> 
> Kara <3: don’t work too late today, ok?

Lena found herself smiling down at her phone, not realising it.

> : As a matter of fact, I’m leaving work now. But your concern is appreciated.
> 
> Kara <3: <3333
> 
> Kara <3: hey, did you know that know that the cheetah is the only big cat that can purr?

And just like that, Lena felt all her troubles melt away. All thanks to Kara Danvers and her animals facts.


	3. iii

“No, listen, Godzilla is unironically a great franchise!” Kara said with earnest.

Lena laughed, saying, “Yes, darling, I’m sure a radioactive lizards makes for riveting entertainment.”

Today was Kara and Lena’s second lunch date. Lena had gotten Chinese takeout and ordered about four different dishes for Kara, with a vegetarian noodle dish for herself. They sat on the couch in Lena’s office, facing each other and smiling.

“Think about it!” Kara said, putting her food down, “Godzilla has a scientific basis — kinda. If you combine deep-sea gigantism and the idea that radiation from the planet’s core could be consumed by synapsids— or is it a mammal? Whatever, the point is that if you combine those two already cool ideas, plus a metaphor about nature answering to the hubris of man, you get Godzilla.”

“And how many times have you watched these movies?” Lena asked, smiling.

Kara blinked, “Was I supposed to count?”

Lena laughed and Kara soon followed. It was nice, having these afternoons saved just for the two of them. Friends really did make it easier to get through the day.

“If you think about it,” Lena said, “Superman is kind of like Godzilla.”

Kara’s eyes grew wide. She adjusted her glasses and asked, “W-What do you mean?”

“Well, your lizard friend eats nuclear radiation at the bottom of the ocean to get his special powers, right?” Lena said, “Doesn’t Superman get his powers from solar radiation?”

Kara’s reaction was… interesting. For a moment, she looked completely fine with what Lena was saying. Like she already knew this information. Then, as if a switch was flipped, her eyes grew wide and she made a confused expression that looked forced. Why, Lena had no clue.

“H-He does? Wow, golly, I-I didn’t know that. I thought, y’know, he just had those powers.” Kara stammered.

Lena blinked before deciding to make a note of that. She’d add it to the _Kara Danvers doing odd things_ folder.

She said, “I’m sorry. Sometimes I forget what information the general public does and doesn’t know about Kryptonians. Lex’s research was… thorough.”

Lena could feel Kara’s eyes on her. They didn’t feel angry or anything, but they were trained intensely on her. It was such an odd reaction to what was a normal conversation topic.

“Are you sure I should know about your brother’s research?” Kara asked, her words slow.

Lena smiled at her and said, “I’m sure it will be fine. Who’s going to stop me, Superman?”

Kara let out a nervous laugh and adjusted her glasses. Why was she so nervous? Did she not like Superman or something? Or was it the topic of Lex? Lena decided it was the latter and chose to focus on Kryptonians instead. Kara was a smart woman and it would be nice to talk to someone about Lena’s projects and have them actually understand for once.

“Tell me, how much do you know about Kryptonian physiology?” Lena asked.

“Um…” Kara said, “they can fly? And they’re super strong.”

Lena supposed that was the public consensus over Superman. Continuing, she asked, “Have you ever heard of the photonucleic effect?”

Kara’s eyes lit up and she sat up a little bit straighter as she said, “It’s, uh, a theory. It’s when an object native to the influence of a red giant star enters the influence of a small G-type star. The object reacts differently under each influence.”

Lena squinted at Kara for a moment. Kara was lying. Not about the photonucleic effect, no, she was absolutely right there. Kara was lying about how much she knew. The photonucleic effect only came into being upon the arrival of Superman, it was intrinsically tied to him. So if Kara knew what this theory was, then why was she feigning ignorance about Kryptonians? What reason would she have to play dumb? None of this added up.

Instead of dwelling on it, Lena said, “Correct. In this case, that object is the Man of Steel himself. His home of Krypton orbited a red sun. Kryptonians have the unique ability to store solar radiation in their cells to be used as energy. On Krypton, which likely was much larger and had more gravitational pull than Earth, they might’ve just been like you and me. Normal.”

Something flickered in Kara’s eyes at the word _normal_. Lena never felt such a strong urge to pick apart someone’s brain before. What was going on inside her head?

Lena continued, saying, “But here? Here, their cells absorb yellow solar radiation and _that_ is what gives Superman his powers. In my brother’s research, he talked about using devices that mimicked red solar radiation to dampen Superman’s powers.”

And then he went insane and killed millions of people, but that was neither here nor there. Lena changed the company name to L-Corp for a reason: it would not be an organisation of hatred any longer.

“Why,” Kara asked, “why do you care about this?”

Lena glanced at her. If she was seeing these correctly, there was a tinge of fear in Kara’s eyes. She didn’t blame her: a Luthor being interested in Kryptonian physiology? That hasn’t gone well in the past.

“There’s a huge global debate on how to deal with our carbon emissions. The scope of how much the planet’s changing climate are a result of humanity is debatable but one thing is clear: climate change is happening. What the earth needs is a clean, safe source of power that can’t run out and can power entire countries.” Lena said, getting breathless with excitement.

Reverently, Kara said, “Solar power.”

Lena smiled from ear to ear and nodded. She said, “If I can study Kryptonian cells and figure out how they store solar radiation so efficiently, L-Corp can finally be a force for good in this world.”

“Maybe you could reach out to Superman?” Kara said, forever the optimist.

Lena scoffed and said, “Me? A Luthor? I’m sure that will go over well.”

She didn’t expect what came next. Kara reached out and grabbed both of Lena’s hands in her own, squeezing firmly. She looked so confident, so sure of herself. Lena’s breath got caught in her throat.

Kara said, “You’re more than just a Luthor. You’re _good_, Lena.”

Tears stung Lena’s eyes. She had never had those words spoken to her before. No one had ever reassured Lena like this before, never made her believe she was good. No one except Kara Danvers.

Blinking away the tears, Lena murmured, “Thank you.”

Kara didn’t pull away immediately. Instead, she smiled and held Lena’s hands for a little while longer. As if trying to imbue all of her emotion through touch. It was impossibly sweet and Lena wondered what she did to deserve Kara in her life.

When Kara did pull away, it was to go to the bathroom. They had finished eating by now and Lena had a moment to collect herself. Crying in front of guests, what would her mother say?

The moment Kara left, Lena pulled out the box that she hid underneath the couch. It was a long, rectangular white box that had a red ribbon tied around it. Inside was a moderately expensive stethoscope — the best that money could buy. After Kara’s words earlier, this gift was more than well-deserved.

Lena would buy Kara the world if she could.

* * *

> Kara <3: lenaaaaaa
> 
> Kara <3: when did you put that in my bag :((
> 
> Kara <3: wait how expensive is this
> 
> : Who knows? You’re welcome, dear.
> 
> Kara <3: i’m pouting rn, i hope you know that

* * *

Lena couldn’t get Kara out of her head after that lunch date. And no, she wasn’t referring to the fluttering feeling in her stomach whenever Kara held her hand or smiled at her. No, she was talking about Kara’s pattern of saying and doing odd things. Lena had a long think and compiled a list of all the things she remembered.

  1. Kara had an eidetic memory

No one just knew every animal’s scientific name off the top of their head without an outstanding memory. Lena can’t even chalk it up to Kara just really liking animals. No, Kara must have learned about these names once and memorised it. Not to mention the plethora of information about animal diets and behaviours.

  1. She can eat large amounts of high-calorie foods and not gain weight

Lena had witnessed Kara’s insatiable hunger first hand. Logically, it made no sense. Lena could approximate Kara’s height and weight and calculate her daily caloric intake just fine — the problem was that Kara ate her entire daily caloric intake in one sitting. And Kara surely didn’t starve herself after these large meals, judging by the snacks she had stored in her backpack.

So how did Kara maintain that lean physique? Did she have time to exercise while being at vet school _and_ whenever she volunteered at animal shelters? Could all that food even be exercised away? Lena doubted anyone’s metabolism could be that high. So how?

  1. She can do complex conversions mentally and be correct

Converting kilogram force into newtons was a simple multiplication of 9.807 per kilogram force. However, it wasn’t easy to just convert a large number by that multiplication, mentally, and get it correct. Lena had calculated the answer for herself after Kara left that first night. That requires a high intelligence and good attention to detail.

  1. Sometimes lies about what she knows

Like their early conversation, Kara sometimes pretended not to know things. She could rattle off the exact definition of the photonucleic effect but feigned ignorance about Superman’s vast array of powers. Lena couldn’t understand why she would hide this: if Kara wanted to seem stupider than she was, wouldn’t she pretend not to know what the photonucleic effect was? Wasn’t Superman’s powers more common knowledge than that?

It just didn’t add up. Lena’s mind was tailored to sorting out and establishing patterns but she couldn’t find the answer to Kara’s behaviour.

Then there was the minor odd things like how her body temperature was always so warm and said things like “animals on this planet”. Lena paid them little mind, focusing more on those four points.

At first, Lena wondered if Kara wasn’t who she claimed to be. That perhaps Lex had hired Kara to gain Lena’s trust for some nefarious purpose. But in the same vein, Kara was too clumsy to be one of Lex’s spies. And Lena refused to believe that Kara Danvers was anything less than a piece of heaven itself.

Still, Lena’s paranoia was getting to her. There was the option of doing a background check on Kara using a private investigator, but that would also be a breach of Kara’s privacy. Lena had to choose between peace of mind and safety, or Kara.

Against her better judgement, she chose Kara.

There were other, more morally acceptable ways of getting information out of Kara. She had already used food so Lena needed to use a more effective technique.

Pressing her phone to her ear, Lena listened to the ringing. It took a few rings before Kara answered on the other side.

“Lena, hey!” Kara said, joy tinting her voice.

Lena looked outside her window, looking at the sun dipping below the horizon. It painted the city in an orange light and warmed Lena’s skin where it touched.

“How would you like to feed a tiger cub?”

* * *

“Oh my God, this is the best day of my life,” Kara whispered, adding, “You’re the cutest little thing, yes you are.”

Kara was currently feeding a tiger cub with a bottle of milk, specially created to provide the cub with enough nutrients. The cub, Indrah, was sitting in Kara’s blanket-covered lap and sucking on the bottle with eyes closed. Drops of milk had escaped and clung to her whiskers. Kara looked at the cub like it was the first time she had seen an animal before.

“How old is she?” Kara asked, looking up at the keeper.

“About eight weeks now,” The keeper said, “We’re slowly introducing her to solid foods but she still clings to the milk.”

Lena was standing next to the keeper, enjoying the show in front of her. Seeing the joy on Kara’s face was worth calling in this favour. The keeper was the mother of one of L-Corp’s interns down in the labs who Lena had chosen out of the numerous candidates. She was more than willing to pull a few strings to arrange this tour and feeding sessions.

It helped that Lena personally donated a few million to National City Zoo every year.

“That’s pretty young for handling, isn’t it?” Kara asked, wary.

“It is but we didn’t have much of a choice. The poor thing has a leg infection and we feared that her mother might see her as a threat if we just left her in the enclosure,” The keeper said with a frown.

Kara nodded and turned her attention back to the cub. The keeper turned to look at Lena, this time with a smile.

“Thank you for organising this, the tour was lovely. Are those snow leopards new? I can’t remember seeing them the last time I was here.” Lena said, a slight pout forming on her face.

“They are!” The keeper said, “We were having trouble finding a compatible mating pair but now they’re here. I’m personally a fan of them.”

Lena smirked, saying, “As am I.”

More quietly this time, the keeper said, “I’d like to thank you for accepting my daughter’s internship. She kept saying how much she wanted to work at your company but the competition was pretty fierce. I can’t tell you how happy she is at L-Corp.”

Lena shook her head and said, “Your daughter earned herself the internship, she’s a bright girl. There’s no need to thank you.”

“Well, regardless,” the keeper said, “I’m glad there’s at least one good Luthor.”

Lena swallowed down the lump in her throat. What was with people this week and being nice to her?

The walkie-talkie attached to the keeper’s belt loop buzzed. The keeper responded to it with some jargon that Lena didn’t care to understand before turning to her and Kara.

“There’s a small situation I have to resolve. Is it alright if I leave you two with the cub?” The keeper asked, “I won’t be too long. This is kind of against zoo policy but I’m sure I can trust you two.”

Lena waved her off, saying, “Don’t worry, we won’t go anywhere. Indrah is in good hands, isn’t she, Kara?”

“Oh yeah, absolutely!” Kara was practically beaming.

“Thank you so much, I won’t be long.”

Once the keeper had left the nursery, Lena knew it was time to put her plan in motion. It had been too awkward to talk to Kara when the keeper was here but she was gone now.

Lena placed her blazer onto the table and took a seat next to Kara. The blonde woman smiled at her from ear to ear.

“This is so sweet of you, Lena.” Kara said, adding, “It’s gonna look great on my record, too.”

Lena smiled at her as charmingly as possible. She said, “Well, now you know it helps to have friends in high places. And we _are_ friends, aren’t we?”

It was a genuine question. Lena wanted verbal confirmation that she wasn’t overanalysing her only good relationship in this city. That she wasn’t investing time and energy into something she misunderstood.

But Kara shot her a soft look and said, “Of course we are, Lena. I mean, look at this little guy! Do you do stuff like this for anyone besides friends?”

“You have a point.” Lena said.

She looked down at the cub in Kara’s lap and her heart softened. She wanted to reach out and stroke it’s fur but she knew she couldn’t risk leaving her scent on her. Instead, Lena looked back up at Kara.

“Then, as a friend,” Lena said, wetting her lips, “can I ask you a question?”

“Shoot!” Kara said eagerly.

Lena said, “I know nothing about your childhood, where you’re from…”

She wanted to know everything. Every little fact and detail about Kara’s life. Lena told herself that it was purely in the interest of data collection. That she just wanted to stop feeling paranoid. Nothing more.

The light in Kara’s eyes suddenly dimmed and Lena felt her heart plummet. Kara Danvers should never look so sad. It was like someone blotted out the sun.

Quietly, Kara said, “Depends on which family you’re asking about.”

Lena’s throat closed up. The way Kara said that…

“My birth parents, they,” Kara said, “they died in a fire when I was young.”

The only sound that could be heard was the tiger cub suckling milk from her bottle. The cub was blissfully unaware of the tension that settled over the two women.

“I don’t like talking about it.” Kara said softly.

Lena bent her head down to get Kara’s attention. It worked, as Kara’s sad eyes found her own.

“That’s fine, Kara. I’ll take whatever you’re comfortable sharing. Even if that’s nothing at all.” Lena said.

Paranoia be damned. Nothing was worth seeing Kara so upset.

Kara was quiet for a long time. Lena sat in silence, patient and vigilant. She prepared herself for every reaction Kara could have.

Then Kara spoke.

“I was adopted by the Danvers. They’re from Midvale and I visit them when I can. They… I was a real brat back then. I didn’t make the transition easy on anyone.”

The guilt was thick and heavy in Kara’s tone. Lena tried to imagine it: a younger Kara, gangly and broken by what life threw at her. To lose one’s entire world in a single day… it was devastation beyond words.

And Kara still found a way to bring joy to others.

“Kara, you lost your entire family. It’s understandable. No one can blame you for acting out.” Lena said, as gently as possible.

Kara smiled but it turned out more like a grimace.

“I wanted to run away so many times. But…” Kara said, “they were so, so patient with me. I’ll never be able to thank them enough for raising me. Especially my sister, Alex. She was — _is_ — my rock.”

Alex. The sister that came up a few times in conversation. In that moment, Lena felt a swell of affection for the faceless stranger named Alex Danvers.

“I’m glad you had her to rely on.” Lena said.

“Me too.” Kara said with a smile.

This smile was better than the last one. It had some of the old Kara Danvers in it. The same warmth and tenderness that Lena had come to know from Kara.

“What about you?” Kara asked, “What was your childhood like?”

Lena tensed up. This was the first time someone asked her about her childhood and actually wanted the truth. Kara didn’t ask as an insult or the lead-up to a joke. She just wanted to know.

But Lena didn’t know if she wanted to admit it.

“It’s not a nice story, Kara.” Lena warned her.

Kara shrugged and said, “Neither was mine. You listened. I can listen, too. If you need me.”

_If you need me. _Lena had always prided herself on never needing anything. She didn’t need a helping hand or a pat on the back. She didn’t need a loving family or honest friends. Needing things were a weakness for a Luthor.

But that didn’t mean that Lena didn’t need a friend. Maybe, just maybe, Lena could admit she needed someone and not feel ashamed for it.

Lena took a deep breath to steel her nerves. When she let it out, she said, “I’m not a real Luthor. My adoptive mother reminded me of this fact throughout my childhood. I’m only half a Luthor. A half-breed, as some called me.”

Kara’s face was scrunched up in a frown. She really did look like a kicked puppy.

“That’s terrible.” She murmured.

Indrah squirmed in Kara’s lap when she moved. Lena decided it was easier to look at the cub than at the sad puppy.

“That’s the circles a Luthor finds themselves in.” Lena said, smiling without mirth, “My birth is the result of my father cheating on his wife with my mother. I’m originally from Ireland, actually. When my mother passed away, my father took me to America to live with his family. I didn’t know him and I didn’t want to go. I just wanted my mom.”

Lena thanked whatever higher power there was for not making her voice crack during that speech. She had never admitted these things to anyone. Lex… Lex didn’t need her to verbalise it — he just knew.

“Lex…” Lena said, her chest heavy with grief, “he was my Alex. He made me feel like I belonged in that house. Like I actually mattered. He was the one to get me into science and quantum mechanics and all the rest.”

Lena tried to remember what he was like before he lost his mind. Before his hatred and ego consumed him. When Lex Luthor was her big brother. Her favourite person in the whole world.

“And then he went insane. Now, I’m alone.”

Before she knew what was happening, Lena’s hand was interlaced with Kara’s. She looked up at Kara and found blue eyes burning with passion.

“Not alone. You’ve got me.” Kara said, her voice void of doubt.

Kara was so warm to the touch, as if she had a fever. It felt nice inside Lena’s cold hand. An equilibrium. Then again, wasn’t that exactly what Kara was for Lena? A counterweight of sorts. The optimist to her pessimist. Kara made life brighter, more colourful just by existing; Lena hoped that she could also make life easier for Kara in return. If that meant monetary gifts that meant nothing to Lena but the world to Kara, then so be it.

Lena realised that Kara’s grip on her hand wasn’t releasing any time soon. As if Kara was trying to solidify her promise.

She needed to change the topic before the tears stinging her eyes actually fell.

Lena sniffed and asked, “So where did this interest in animals stem from?”

Kara’s eyebrows went wide with surprise and a small smile donned her face. She said, “Well, I’ve always liked them. They’re this whole new creature just existing on the same planet as us. They also have families, friends, personalities. And it’s unique to them individually, as a species, even as a ecological system. I’ve wanted to study animals for as long as I’ve known about them.”

Maybe one day, Lena could show Kara the world and all the animals it housed. Maybe.

“I’m sure an animal lover like you had lots of pets.” Lena said, smiling back.

“Just one. Streaky. He, uh,” Kara said, “he was a stray in our neighbourhood. I was a bit of a loose canon back then. It was just after the… fire. I was so scared that I was gonna hurt him.”

Kara looked so unsure as she told this story. Lena tried to imagine a young Kara and the stray cat, both curious of each other but neither making the first move. Lena’s heart swelled.

“Did you?” Lena asked.

It wasn’t an accusation. While Lena doubted Kara would ever hurt an animal, she didn’t rule out the possibility. Grief made people do things they otherwise wouldn’t. Lena only asked to let Kara know that she wouldn’t judge either way. She hoped Kara understood that.

Kara seemed to become lighter as she shook her head, saying, “No. I practiced being gentle. I pet him and he purred and for the first time in so long, I felt normal.”

Normal. Lena could emphasise with that desire to feel normal. Lex had been the only one to make her feel normal, and not like the half-breed child of a broken family. Both she and Kara, adopted children, wanted to feel normal.

Lena wondered what their lives might’ve been like if they had met earlier.

“Well, Indrah isn’t exactly a house cat,” Lena said gently, “but I’m sure you seem pretty normal to her.”

“Thanks, Lena.” Kara murmured, rubbing her thumb over Lena’s knuckles.

The feeling sent electric shocks up through Lena’s arm. Lena smiled but pulled her hand away. Kara was straight. The more she stopped giving into ambiguous gestures like that, the better.

Kara smiled and dipped her head when their hands pulled away. Lena watched the blonde woman adjust her glasses with her free hand. A nervous tick of hers that Lena was quite fond of. But why would Kara be nervous? Lena raised an eyebrow at Kara, questioning.

“And what about you?” Kara asked, biting her bottom lip.

“Hm?” Lena asked.

Kara said with a slight shake in her voice, “Am I normal to you?”

Normal. There was that word again. Lena didn’t know what answer Kara wanted from her. Did she want Lena to say that she was normal? Because as far as Lena was concerned, Kara was the furthest thing from normal. And that wasn’t a bad thing. It was the exact opposite. Kara Danvers was above average. She was excellent, phenomenal—

“Kara, you are extraordinary.”

The two women stared at each other for a moment. Tension hung in the air but Lena couldn’t decipher its’ nature. All she knew was that Kara Danvers was beautiful and the best thing in Lena’s life right now.

Kara dipped her head, saying, “Never been called that before.”

There was a small, abashed smile on her face. Lena found herself smiling at the sight. It was then that the tiger cub, having finished her meal, decided to make herself known by squeaking. The two women laughed at the noise and the heavy conversation just faded away. There was nothing more that Lena wanted to know.


	4. iv.

There were few places where Lena felt at ease. One of those places was inside a laboratory. The cold environment, the smell of sanitised floors, the quiet movement of people and things alike — when Lena stepped into a laboratory, she could breathe easier.

For today, Lena was in Lab 9 to discuss plans to develop a psuedo-Kryptonian cell. Lex’s research had laid out the blueprints but it was just bare bones stuff.

“Progress is slow, I’m afraid,” Doctor Parker said, “your brother’s research was helpful but we aren’t working with a lot here. Human technology hasn’t progressed far enough to replicate a cell this complex based on theory alone.”

Lena furrowed her brows together as she looked over the blueprints spread out on the table. Kryptonian skin cells must have some sort of unique organelle that humans aren’t aware of that store solar radiation. Earth plants use photosynthesis in a similar fashion but Kryptonian cells were advanced and efficient.

They needed the real thing.

“You don’t suppose you could ask Superman for a favour?” The doctor asked, a cheeky grin on his face.

Lena rolled her eyes and said, “Maybe I should. I heard him and my big brother were pals.”

Doctor Parker laughed. For someone who had been awake for 19 hours now, he was oddly energised.

Lena walked around the table, pushing the blueprints from her mind. She crossed her arms and said, “Bring up the Kryptonian data archives. Highlight physiology.”

“Yes ma’am.”

In moments, a hologram was projected in front of Lena. It was a full body diagram of Superman, filled with Lex’s research notes (organised by Lena). She created this viewing program herself to make it easier to look at her notes.

“Zoom in on his skin cells. Anywhere is fine.” Lena said, frowning.

The projecter zoomed in to Superman’s bare shoulder. Lines sprouted from the area with sub-headings and notes about the area — more of Lex’s useless ramblings.

“Select sub-heading skin,” Lena said.

Parker did as he was told. The sub-heading read: _Superman’s skin is as hard as any metal we know of on Earth. Absorbs solar radiation to use his powers. Skinning Superman with a Kryptonite blade—_

The rest was useless. Lex was more focused on how to kill Superman than his actual genetic makeup.

“It could be a form of genetic engineering.” Doctor Parker offered.

Lena hummed, saying, “Krypton was a civilisation that was thousands of years ahead of us in terms of technology. I wouldn’t be surprised if Superman didn’t have an appendix like we do — most likely removed at prior to birth. You may be right.”

“It’s strange, isn’t it?” Doctor Parker said, “Superman can bleed. He might not need to breathe but we know he has lungs. Which means he has organs and flesh and bones like us.”

Lena looked back and asked, “What is your point, doctor?”

He said, “Wouldn’t that mean that Superman can eat food? He has the same bodily functions as us but he can sustain himself on solar radiation alone, potentially. Maybe Krypton realised that using the sun as a source of fuel instead of relying on food and water was more efficient — maybe that’s how because so advanced as a society. No need to sleep or eat. Their only goal was to progress.”

“Don’t get any ideas, doctor. Human technology is far from being able to redesign genetic makeup like that.” Lena said, turning back to the hologram.

Doctor Parker let out a laugh and said, “I’m fine eating my burgers, Ms Luthor. Jeez, imagine trying to feed Superman. He could probably eat an entire cow in one sitting to fuel that kind of metabolism.”

Lena paused.

There was nothing wrong with what Parker said. Logically, it seemed sound. Kryptonian metabolism was much higher than human metabolism but it was ignored due to solar radiation being more than enough to sustain them. Still… Lena’s mind drifted to Kara.

Kara, who ate inordinate amounts of food in one sitting and never gained weight. Kara, who always seemed to be hungry even after she ate.

As quickly as the thought came, Lena pushed it from her mind. What was she thinking exactly? That because Kara ate a lot of food, that made her a Kryptonian? Jess was right: she needed more sleep.

It was just an intrusive thought. Nothing more.

* * *

The thought wouldn’t leave Lena’s mind all day.

She was growing more and more uneasy the longer she ignored this theory that was infesting her mind. The more she pushed it from her mind, the more the thought came back with a vengeance. It demanded attention.

The work day had ended and Lena was still sitting in her office. She wanted to go home. She really did. But she remained rooted in place.

It was such a stupid idea. Kara? An all-powerful alien? It was just a crack-pot theory but it wouldn’t leave Lena alone. Was this her infamous Luthor paranoia catching up with her?

Lena huffed. Fine. She would entertain this theory for five minutes and no more than that. For five minutes, Lena would examine _proof_ of Kara being a Kryptonian.

For one, Lena has seen Kara exhibit _none_ of the famous superpowers that Superman has. No heat vision, no super strength, no super speed — nothing. The only thing that Kara had was her insane hunger and metabolism. Maybe she was just a hungry person?

Lena pulled up her previously-made list of odd things about Kara Danvers. She’d try to explain all these factors on Kara being Kryptonian.

  1. Kara had an eidetic memory

That didn’t necessarily mean that Kara was a Kryptonian. Yes, Kryptonians had a very high level of intelligence but so did many humans. An eidetic memory could just be a quirk of hers.

  1. She can do complex conversions mentally and be correct

Theoretically, if Kara was a Kryptonian, this could make sense. Kryptonian mathematics must’ve been far more advanced that what was available on Earth. Converting kilogram force into newtons mentally may be like a simple addition question to a Kryptonian. But Kara could also just be a very smart human.

  1. Sometimes lies about what she knows

This… Lena had to pause on this. Let’s… for the sake of this theory, let’s say that Kara is a Kryptonian. Let’s say that Kara lied about what she knew because she was Kryptonian. Lena’s mind latched onto the memory that sparked this being added to the list.

Kara knew about the photonucleic effect. She pretended not to know about Superman’s powers.

Something twisted inside Lena’s gut. Something dark and ugly and it threatened to swallow her whole. If Kara was Kryptonian… the reason she’d lie about not knowing about Superman’s powers would be because she was trying not to draw attention to herself. Because she didn’t want Lena to find out she was a Kryptonian.

Lena slammed the laptop shut. This was too much. She thought about how Kara’s skin was always so warm. Kryptonian physiology and metabolism would mean that their internal body temperature was much higher than humans. A walking furnance. Lena thought about how Kara referred to animals as being from “this planet”. What other planet would have animals? Krypton?

Laughter bubbled out of Lena. Seriously? What was she thinking? Was she actually believing this? Superman was the last Kryptonian, he was the only one who escaped the explosion. And Kara wasn’t even Superman’s age, which meant that if she was actually Kryptonian, she would’ve had to survive at least a decade after the explosion occurred. The math didn’t add up, this was just a dumb theory.

And Lena knew where Kara was from! Her adoptive family was from Midvale and her birth family—

Died. In a fire.

Lena sunk back into her chair. A fire, or an explosion? If… If Kara was a Kryptonian, then her family would’ve died in the blast. If Kara somehow got out and came to Earth, she could’ve been given to the Danvers family in Midvale. Is that why Kara said she acted out as a child? Why she was scared of hurting that stray cat? Because of her new super-strength? Did Kara gain an interest in animals because she was from Krypton?

Lena didn’t want to believe it. It felt like pieces to a puzzle Lena didn’t realise she had were falling into place.

It wasn’t true. Kara _wasn’t_ a Kryptonian. She wouldn’t hide that from her—

Or would she? Lena was a Luthor, after all. Thanks to Lex, Kryptonians and Luthors aren’t exactly on good terms. Did Kara not trust her? Or… could it be that Kara was just trying to get close to Lena.

Lena was out of her seat before she even knew it. She all-but ran out of her office, startling Jess.

“Go home, Jess.” Lena said, “I have something I need to do.”

* * *

The next time Lena saw Kara was on a Monday afternoon. The sun was beaming down on her as she stood out on her balcony. Her stomach was twisted up into knots. She didn’t know why she was so afraid. Kara wouldn’t hurt her — she _wouldn’t_. Kara might be hiding something from Lena but she’d never hurt her. Lena knew that in her heart.

But that didn’t stop her stomach from twisting.

The device in her pocket grew heavy. Lena was praying to whatever higher power there was to show her that Kara was human. That she was just a beautiful blonde girl from Midvale that loved animals and made Lena feel wanted.

“Good morning!” Kara’s voice rang out behind her.

Lena whirled around. Kara was standing in her office, dressed in vet scrubs and smiling brightly at her. How could she not return the smile?

“It’s the middle of afternoon, Kara,” Lena teased as she made her way to Kara.

Kara engulfed Lena in a tight hug. Lena melted into the embrace. While Kara was only two inches taller than her, her broad shoulders and arms made her feel safe and secure. And Kara was always so impossibly warm. Lena grimaced at the potential implication of that.

When they pulled away, Kara said, “Alright, lemme see this super secret device of yours.”

It was show time. Lena needed to pay attention to every little reaction Kara gave during this. Lena pulled her device out of her pocket and held it out to Kara to look at.

“Oh, wow,” Kara said, giving it a weird look, “…a computer mouse. Cool.”

Lena laughed and swatted Kara’s arm, saying, “Very funny. It’s not a mouse.”

“Lena, you’re killing me with the suspense here.” Kara said.

“This,” Lena said, holding it up, “is an alien detection device.”

Lena watched Kara’s face turn into one of shock. Kara wasn’t interested in the device, she looked like she wanted to be as far as possible from it. Lena’s heart sunk.

She continued, saying, “It allows humans to find out who among them is not truly one of them. It's not market-ready yet. I mean, we're still developing the prototype. But we aim to have this device in every store, in every town all across America.”

Kara’s eyes grew wide as Lena spoke. She looked so… afraid. If Kara was a Kryptonian, this would be her greatest nightmare. An easy way to expose her true identity. But Kara wasn’t a Kryptonian — she was human.

Swallowing, Kara asked, “How, uh, does it work?”

“Just a simple test,” Lena said, adding, “I’ll show you what a negative response looks like.”

Lena pressed her thumb against the scanner. It beeped for a few moments before emitting a green glow. She looked up at Kara who looked ready to run.

It was now or never.

“Now you try.” Lena said with a smile. She tried to look as innocent and friendly as she could, as if nothing was out of the ordinary. As if Lena wasn’t basing her sanity on the response this device had to Kara.

Kara stammered for a moment before saying, “Won’t a device like this… Doesn’t this go against everything America is supposed to stand for?”

Lena wasn’t expecting that. She frowned and placed the device on the table behind her.

“Such as?” Lena asked, arms crossed.

Kara adjusted her glasses, saying, “Well, freedom… against persecution, oppression. America’s always been a country of immigrants.”

“It’s also always been a country of _humans_.” Lena said, squinting at Kara.

While she wasn’t a xenophobe like her brother, Lena empathised with the population of humans who were afraid of aliens and didn’t want to work with one. If employers didn’t want a convicted felon working for them, they could simply check their criminal history. There wasn’t a filter like that for aliens. This device could be that filter.

Kara let out an awkward laugh. She said, “Just… don’t you think this device is an invasion of privacy? What if… what if an alien doesn’t want people to know they’re an alien? What if they don’t want to be discriminated against?”

Lena said, “People have a right to know who they are associating themselves with. Do we hold an alien’s right to privacy above a human’s right to safety?”

Kara looked down at the ground. There would be no way to change either of their minds. Lena told herself that Kara was just a kind person who fought for everyone’s rights, from animals to aliens. That this wasn’t a personal issue for Kara.

“Look, Kara,” Lena said, getting up, “I’m a business woman.”

Lena got up and walked around her desk to sit at her chair. She said, “L-Corp is in the business of making money and this device is going to make us a fortune. Unlike my brother, I'm going to do it for the good of the world.”

She grabbed the device and looked up at Kara as she held it out.

“So?”

Kara cleared her throat and said, “Right.”

She stepped forward and slowly placed her thumb against the scanner. Both women looked at the device in silence. Lena’s heart was beating in her ears. If the scanner flashed red, Lena didn’t know what she’d do.

All she could do was sit and watch.

Beep.

Beep.

Beep.

A negative response. The device shone with a green light and Lena felt a weight disappear from her shoulders. Kara was human. Lena could breathe easier now.

“See? Works perfectly.” Lena said, smiling from ear to ear.

Kara gave her a small smile before adjusting her glasses. A nervous tick. Lena could tell Kara had something on her mind.

“Kara?” Lena asked.

The blonde woman looked down at Lena. She straightened out her back and puffed out her chest a bit. It was… different. Lena had never seen Kara look so stern.

“I don’t think you should put that on the market.” Kara said, “Lots of aliens… we aren’t the only ones who want to feel normal. A lot of them are just trying to fit in. This device would take that chance away from them forever.”

Lena scowled up at Kara. She was using Lena’s past against her. She knew how much weight the word “normal” held between them and she was using it against Lena. Anger flared up inside Lena. Human or not, Kara had crossed a line.

“I’m a busy woman, Ms Danvers. You can see yourself out.” Lena said, not sparing her a glance.

It was harsh. Lena knew that. But she was upset and hurt and she just wanted to be alone. She knew that if she looked up and saw Kara flashing her those big, blue puppy-dog eyes that she’d feel guilty. So Lena looked at her laptop screen and only let herself relax until she heard the door to her office shut.

She sagged back into her chair. That conversation had gone terribly in a way that Lena had not foreseen. She thought Kara might’ve thrown her into the sun. But now Lena knew Kara was a human so that wasn’t possible.

Kara Danvers, valiant defender of animals and aliens alike. How noble.

Lena wasn’t her brother. She didn’t want to hurt aliens. She just…

Right now, Lena just wanted a stiff drink.

* * *

The internal wiring was fired.

Lena sat in her apartment’s study room, burning a hole into her desk with her eyes. The alien detection device sat on the desk in pieces. Lena had taken the device apart herself. Why? Because when she was leaving her office and putting the device back into the safe, she smelled smoke.

And this was why. The device’s internal wiring was fired. Melted. Lena couldn’t blame the heat because only a specific section of the wiring was destroyed.

Which section? The part of the device that, if destroyed, would trigger a reverse response upon use. Lena had reassembled the device and used it on herself: it read her as an alien.

The truth had been staring Lena in the face this entire time but she ignored it. Kryptonians were highly intelligent. Kara would know which wire to fry to cause the reversed response. Thanks to yellow solar radiation, Kryptonians possessed heat vision. In the few moments that Lena turned around, Kara must have fried the wiring.

More importantly, after the wiring was fried, the device gave Kara a negative response. It read her as human. Meaning she absolutely wasn’t.

Kara Danvers was a Kryptonian.

At first, Lena had been angry. Unbelievably so. She felt betrayed and stupid for not seeing this sooner. If she hadn’t been so dazzled by Kara’s brilliant smile, maybe she would’ve figured this out sooner.

Why did Kara hide her identity from her? Because she thought Lena would hate her? Or did she really just want to get close to Lena to subdue her? Was she keeping an eye on Lena to make sure she didn’t turn out like Lex?

Lena’s paranoia was at an all time high. The alcohol she was drinking wasn’t any better.

Sunny Kara Danvers, an all-powerful alien. Who would’ve thought?

Was Kara related to Superman? Did they even know each other? Did he ask Kara to keep an eye on her? Or did Lena and Kara really just meet by pure chance?

Lena’s head was swimming with questions and she feared she was going to drown. Why would Kara lie about this?

_“We aren’t the only ones who want to feel normal.”_

She didn’t know why that line popped into her brain. Kara had said it with so much earnest. Kara, who stuttered over her words and laughed too loud and hunched her back, suddenly seemed larger than life. Confident.

Lena looked down at the disassembled device.

_“This device would take that chance away from them forever.”_

Was that what Kara was afraid of? Being judged? Never being able to feel normal again? Lena felt normal around Kara. Was it so much of a stretch that Kara felt normal around Lena, too? And now that Lena knew about her true identity, Lena was doing exactly what Kara was afraid of: ascribing motive to Kara simply because she was an alien.

Lena buried her head in her hands. Was it fair of her to expect Kara to tell her this secret? It couldn’t have been easy for Kara to open up about her childhood but she did. She opened up to Lena. She trusted Lena.

Could Lena trust Kara?

_“Normal.”_

Kara was born on Krypton. She lost her entire world — her culture, her language, her _family_ — all at once. And then she was shipped off somehow to a completely new world and expected to fit in. She lost so much and was expected to just _adjust_.

And Lena expected her to just come right out and admit all of this to someone she knew for barely a month. Kara didn’t blame Lena for not admitting she wasn’t fully a Luthor. How can Lena blame Kara for this?

Maybe it was wrong of Kara to keep this a secret from her. Maybe Kara’s fault lied with not trusting Lena to accept her for what she was. Did Kara think Lena would reject her? Was it because she’s a Luthor? She hadn’t done anything to Kara to make her think that.

Lena looked down at the device.

_“Do we hold an alien’s right to privacy above a human’s right to safety?”_

The implication being that humans weren’t safe around aliens. That Lena wasn’t safe around Kara. Maybe, instead of expecting Kara to trust her, Lena should extend Kara that same trust.

Kara shouldn’t have hid her identity from Lena. But Lena understood why she did. She forgave her.

Now it was Kara’s turn to forgive her.

Lena’s fingers shook as she pressed the call button. She downed her glass and pressed the phone to her ear. The ringing did nothing to soothe Lena’s nerves.

She heard a click. Then, a quiet: “Lena?”

Lena swallowed down the lump in her throat. She could tell Kara now. She could tell her that she knew and she accepted Kara. That she didn’t have to hide anymore. But Lena wasn’t about to out Kara. Kara would tell her in her own time. She hoped she would.

Instead, Lena said, “The device. It won’t go to production.”

_I won’t expose you, I promise_. _You’re safe with me._

“Thank you, Lena.” Kara said, a little breathlessly.

Lena hung up the call. She had a lot to think about that night.


	5. v.

“Ms Luthor? Is it alright if I come in?”

Lena glanced at the machine from which Jess’ voice was emitting from. She had been doing paperwork and overseeing some plans but she supposed she had some time to spare.

Pressing a button, Lena said, “Come in.”

After a few moments, Jess walked into Lena’s office. She had her usual no-nonsense facial expression on and she held a letter in one hand. Like, an actual letter, enveloped and sealed with wax.

How odd.

“What is it, Jess?” Lena asked, setting her pen down.

“You have a letter of invitation,” Jess said, “from Joseph Blackwood. He’s one of the—”

“Runner-ups for mayor this year, I’m aware. Thank you,” Lena said, holding out her hand for the letter.

Jess handed it to her and Lena took a moment to admire the quality of materials. A red wax seal, smelly parchment — he was really going all out. Lena tore open the envelope and skimmed through the contents of the letter.

She said, “_…cordially invited to Joseph Blackwood’s gala to raise awareness and donations towards cancer_… 13th of July, isn’t that this Friday?”

“Yes, Ms Luthor,” Jess said, adding, “there’s no conflicting events in your schedule for this gala.”

“Is Mr Blackwood aware that he’s inviting a Luthor? I do hope he doesn’t suffer a heart attack when I enter the ballroom,” Lena said, smiling to herself.

Jess asked, “So you will be attending?”

Lena dumped the letter onto the table and said, “Might as well. The company might be poor but donating a few millions to charity might make me feel better.”

She looked up at her secretary as Jess came forward to collect the letter. She looked like she had something on her mind but wasn’t sure whether to say it or not.

“What’s wrong, Jess?” Lena asked.

Jess sighed just as her fingers touched the letter. She scooped up the letter and envelope and tucked then between the clipboard and her side.

“It’s just…” Jess said, “the board suggested that it might be a good idea to bring a date to the gala. It would be good press to you, and L-Corp, as well.”

Lena chuckled and asked, “Or it could stir up a host of rumours about the nature of my relationship with this guest. Did the wise board members suggest anyone in particular?”

Jess shook her head, saying, “They didn’t, but… might I suggest Ms Danvers?”

Lena raised an eyebrow at her secretary.

“You and Ms Danvers seem close. You _did_ grant her unlimited access to your office — no one but me used to have that.” Jess said.

The statement was innocent. Lena and Kara were close. After last week’s little tiff, they may not be as close but they were surely still friends. What would be the harm in inviting Kara to attend this gala with her?

“I’ll think about it. Let me give Kara a call before you RSVP,” Lena said, pulling out her phone.

Jess nodded and quickly left the room to give Lena some privacy. Lena reassured herself that this was a socially-acceptable request — her and Kara were friends, friends went out together. It’s not like this was a date or anything. Kara was straight, Lena remembered that all too well. It made her chest clench to think about. Besides, Kara might not even be free Friday night.

Lena waited for Kara to answer with bated breath, despite these reassurances.

“Lena!” Kara said, sounding excited.

Lena found herself smiling as she said, “Someone sounds eager.”

Kara laughed, saying, “Course I am. I’ve missed you.”

Lena’s heart quickened. Growing up, people were never so forthright with their feelings. People were ruthless, you couldn’t just hand them your weaknesses on a platter to exploit. But Kara Danvers wasn’t raised in that environment — not here and probably not on Krypton. Kara Danvers was bright and sunny and refreshing.

“I-I have missed you, too,” Lena said, feeling lost for words.

Kara hummed happily into the speaker. Lena felt like that in and of itself was a reward.

Kara asked, “So, what’s up?”

“I wanted to know if I could ask you for a favour.” Lena said.

It was like dipping her toe into a pool that you couldn’t see the bottom of. Not knowing if something was lurking beneath the surface, waiting to pull her in.

“Hmm, maybe over lunch” Kara said, adding, “You free at three?”

Lena said with a smile, “I am now.”

Kara’s surprised giggle was worth bearing her heart any day.

* * *

OK, maybe Lena was showing-off a bit. In her defence, even an attempt to be discreet wouldn’t work because she was Lena Luthor and having a chauffeur doesn’t exactly screaming mundane.

Kara had asked her to wait outside her veterinary school building and Lena had turned up at 2:30 PM sharp. She was nothing if not punctual. Her and Santiago had a long chat about politics and sandwiches to pass the time until Kara left her class.

Right… the showing-off part. Lena might have asked Santiago to pick her up in “something nice” and so a fancy, foreign sports car was parked in front of the building. It cost something in the millions, if she remembered correctly and it drew far too many eyes.

Lena just wanted to let Kara sit in a vehicle that wasn’t partially stained in vomit for once. She doubted Kara had ever _touched_ a car this expensive.

“I believe that’s your friend now, Ms Luthor,” Santiago said, slipping his hat on.

Lena’s head immediately whipped around to look out of the window. Sure enough, Kara was almost flying down the stairs from her building — Lena realised she probably could fly down them. However, Lena was surprised to find a young man accompanying Kara. He was saying something quickly as they descended down the stairs.

She felt her heart plummet. Was this man a friend of Kara’s? He could just be a fellow student. Or… maybe a boyfriend? Judging by the dopey heart eyes he was sending, that could be accurate. Lena clenched her jaw. It wasn’t right for her to feel jealous. Kara didn’t belong to her, she could be platonically and romantically interested in whoever she wished.

Preferably out of Lena’s sight.

Lena stepped out of the car to greet them. She was grateful that she wore this blue silk shirt that clung to her sides — it was a lifesaver in this summer heat. As soon as the man and Kara saw her exit the car, they both froze. Lena couldn’t help the smirk that grew on her face.

The man’s eyes grew wide and he started nudging Kara. Kara started walking to Lena, her smile growing wide as well.

“Santiago owns an Aston Martin?” Kara asked, disbelieving.

So that’s what it was. Lena didn’t care much for cars, that was more of Lex’s interests. Instead, she said, “Hi, Kara, it’s nice to see you, too. I’m fine, thanks for asking.”

Kara rolled her eyes, saying, “Oh, shush.”

The two hugged and Lena would be lying if she said she didn’t linger slightly. She quickly pulled away once she realised what she was doing. It was beneath her, trying to mark Kara with her scent like some mutt. Luthors were raised better than to behave like that.

Lena pulled away and turned to look at the man next to Kara. He was still staring at Lena with his mouth hanging open. At least he wasn’t spitting at her like some people would.

“Lena,” Kara said, placing her hand on the small of Lena’s back, “this is my friend, Winn. He does vet tech and—“

“—and I’m a huge fan of your work.” Winn said, “Oh my God, I’m so unprepared. I’ve been following L-Corp’s projects since Lex was in charge. Is it true that Lex has a vault of anti-Kryptonian weapons? Can synthetic Kryptonite actually be made on Earth? I have so many questions.”

That… was new. A nice change, if Lena did say so herself.

“Winn.” Kara said in a warning tone.

Lena was very aware that Kara’s hand was still pressed against her back. She waved Kara off and said, “I’d be happy to. Any friend of Kara’s is a friend of mine.”

Kara looked at her, asking, “Don’t we have a lunch reservation?”

Lena hummed before turning to Winn. If she was trying to prove to Kara that she could trust her, might as well pamper her friends.

“Are you free some time this week?” Lena asked, “I can give you a tour of L-Corp. Might even sneak you into the labs on the lower levels.”

Winn looked like he was about to explode. He stammered out some reply that sounded like “next Wednesday” so Lena went with that. They exchanged numbers, where Winn almost smashed his phone on the concrete sidewalk below them.

“Perfect. I’ll see you next week, Winn,” Lena said, flashing him a dazzling smile.

“Yeah, absolutely! See you next week!” Winn almost-yelled.

Kara began pushing Lena towards the car as she said, “I’m here too, Winn.”

“Uh-huh.”

Kara and Lena slipped into the car. Kara greeted Santiago and Lena got comfortable on the other end of the back seats. She liked to face Kara when they sat in cars like this.

“Sorry about Winn,” Kara said sheepishly, “he’s a big fan of yours. Big tech, science-y guy.”

Lena chuckled, saying, “I could tell. His heart-eyes moved away from you to me.”

Kara let out a bark of laughter. Lena rose an eyebrow at her.

“We-We’re just friends, Lena. Winn’s like a brother to me.” Kara said.

“I’ve had a brother and let me tell you, I never looked at him like that before,” Lena said, adding, “Then again, I never look at men like that.”

The look on Kara’s face was priceless. The journey from shocked, to curious, to… whatever that look was. Lena had enjoyed every moment _immensely_.

“Oh!” Kara managed to force out.

Lena tilted her head and asked, “Is that a problem?”

She could hardly imagine sunny Kara Danvers as being a homophobe but she supposed there was a lot she didn’t know about Kara to begin with. Lena did her best to read Kara’s face.

“No! No, absolutely not.” Kara said, eyes wide, “I just, I had no idea. Wow. Yeah, OK.”

That was… acceptance? It seemed at least more positive than neutral. Lena could roll with that. Although, the way Kara was looking at her now was definitely interesting.

Lena smirked and said, “Winn still has a crush on you.”

“He _doesn’t_.”

* * *

With a mouthful of food, Kara said, “Listen, I love tomatoes as much as the next girl but creamy pasta? Superior.”

Lena giggled at her, before sipping her wine. They were seated at some overpriced Italian restaurant that had menus with no prices attached. Lena was pleased with this because Kara always looked guilty whenever Lena bought her some mildly expensive dishes. This way, Kara had no choice but to order what she liked and not worry about the cost.

“I make a mean lasagna, I’ll have you know.” Lena said, a playful glint in her eyes.

Kara wiped at her mouth with a napkin and asked, “Is that my reward for going through with whatever favour you’re calling in?”

“Perhaps.” Lena said.

Here it came: the dreaded conversation topic Lena had been skirting around all night.

Kara smiled and said, “I’m all ears.”

Lena let out a small breath to steel her nerves — could Kara hear that? Could she hear how fast Lena’s heart was beating in her chest? God, that made Lena even more nervous.

She said, “There’s a gala this Friday. Its’ proceeds will go towards a charity and there will be lots of celebrities littered about. A real nightmare, if you ask me.”

Kara giggled and Lena felt a rush of courage pour into her.

“Well,” Lena said, “I was wondering if you wanted to go with me. As my plus one.”

Kara seemed lost for words. Dread pooled in Lena’s stomach. That wasn’t exactly a good sign.

“Are you OK?” Lena asked. She couldn’t help the tinge of fear in her voice.

Kara seemed to snap out of it. She adjusted her glasses, a very cute habit that Lena was oh-so fond of.

“I’m fine, I just…” Kara said, adding, “Wouldn’t I stick out like a sore thumb?”

Lena imagined Kara Danvers in a ballroom, surrounded by old men and bitchy women. A rose sprouting in a viper’s nest.

“Oh, definitely. You’d be the only one there who’s genuine. I doubt half of that lot can even spell genuine.” Lena said.

Kara blushed at this. Lena decided she ought to compliment her more often, if that was the reaction she would get.

“I don’t have anything to wear.” Kara said, adding, “I mean, not something good enough to wear to a million-dollar gala.”

“Oh, don’t worry about that. I’ll have your dress delivered to you,” Lena waved her off, saying, “Or would you rather a suit. Because if so, that will need to be tailored some time this week.”

The image of Kara in either of those was… dangerous territory for Lena. She banished the thought from her mind and focused on the woman who would be wearing either of them.

“J-Just a dress is fine.” Kara squeaked out.

Lena raised an eyebrow, asking, “So you’re in?”

Kara chewed on her bottom lip as she thought over her decision. Lena waited patiently. She’d respect whatever decision Kara made, even if her heart would crumble.

Kara peaked up at her and said, “Only if we have lasagna after.”

Lena smiled from ear to ear.

“It will be hot and fresh when we get home.”

* * *

This gala was definitely one of the better ones Lena had gone to. Blackwood was pulling out the big guns to win over some votes tonight. Expensive wine, an orchestra — even an ice sculpture sitting on the dining table. It was quite a nice event, made even nicer by the woman gorging herself on all the finger foods available.

Lena had hand-chosen the dress Kara was wearing tonight: a green, silk dress that clung to her body and hugged her curves a little too well. The colour looked lovely on her and Lena had no idea Kara was hiding _that_ kind of body under there. Lena could literally see Kara’s abs poking out from the dress.

She just knew that the photos of her and Kara together would be plastered around the news by tomorrow morning. Lena Luthor and mystery woman. Oh, if only they knew.

Kara was too busy shoving tempura prawns into her mouth to realise that most people were eyeing her up.

Lena was by Kara’s side a moment later. She told herself it wasn’t jealously bubbling up inside her and that she wanted to cover Kara up in her coat solely due to the cold room they were in.

“Enjoying yourself, Ms Danvers?” Lena asked playfully.

Kara smiled at her with a full mouth. She nodded, the smile reaching her eyes as well. Lena also noticed the way Kara’s eyes lingered on her own dress.

Lena had worn a floor-length, black dress that had a slit running all the way down her leg. The dress was off-shoulder and had the faintest hint of cleavage. It showed more skin than Kara’s did, which was probably why Kara was staring. That’s the platonic, heterosexual reason.

“These prawns are amazing,” Kara said, adding, “Are all galas this nice?”

Lena hummed and said, “Some are better than others. This is one of the better ones. Why? Has Kara Danvers decided the life of a socialite is for her?”

Kara giggled, saying, “Not on your life. I’d take a golden retriever over this any day.”

And that was why Lena was friends with her.

Lena looked around and spotted another patron walking towards them. She realised who he was almost immediately and, once facing Kara, rolled her eyes. Of course he’d slither his way into this event.

“I’d hold off on the prawns for now,” Lena murmured, “here comes the number one pain in my ass.”

Kara did something peculiar. She put the food down immediately and her whole posture changed. Back straight, shoulders back and jaw clenched. It was as if Lena told her to be ready for an attack on her life. It was… charming, to say the least.

“Lena Luthor,” Edge said, a slimy grin on his face, “fancy seeing you here.”

Lena smiled thinly and turned to look at Kara, saying, “Kara, I’d like you to meet Morgan Edge. He’s a business associate of L-Corp’s.”

Edge chuckled and said, “_Business associate_. You’re so formal, Lena. Aren’t we friends?”

Oh, how Lena wanted to accidentally trample his foot with her heel. Before Lena could come up with a witty retort, it was Kara who jumped in.

“Morgan Edge?” Kara asked, “Of Edge Global?”

The ice in Kara’s voice made Lena want to shiver.

Edge raised an eyebrow and smirked as he asked, “Oh, so you know me?”

“How could I not?” Kara asked, her voice light.

Edge looked more than pleased with himself. Lena was just curious. Why was Kara interested in real estate affairs?

Kara continued, saying, “You bought out land near the harbour and replaced an animal shelter with a casino. An altruistic decision, I’m sure.”

If Lena had been sipping her wine, she would’ve spat it out in surprise. Instead, she stifled her laughter and glanced at Edge. He looked like someone had presented him with manure as a gift. Kara looked completely neutral.

“Your friend has some bite.” Edge said to Lena, adding, “Might wanna put a leash on her.”

With that, he stalked off. Better to get the last word in after your dignity was dragged through the mud. Lena allowed the laughter to bubble out of her after that. God, it was time someone put Edge in his place. Who knew Kara Danvers would be the one to do it.

It was rather attractive, if Lena was being honest.

“That was—“ Lena said, only to be cut off.

“What a jerk! God, did you see the way he was looking at you?” Kara snarled.

Lena’s eyebrows shot up to her hairline. She said, “At me? Kara, you do realise people have been looking at you all night, right? I mean, look at you.”

Kara blushed bright red. Lena held back a smirk.

“Really? Wow, thanks, I didn’t— OK, but he was looking at you like a creep!” Kara said, slightly out of breath, “He kept staring at your… uh, well, in your chest area. It-It’s pretty out there, I mean, not that that’s a bad thing or anything—“

Lena had tuned Kara out. She knew it was rude and usually she enjoyed Kara’s ramblings, but her attention was forced elsewhere. The focus of her attention was on the dark-haired man in the tuxedo that was staring right at her. As he had been doing all night, in fact.

She knew exactly what the look in his eyes meant. Fear shot through Lena’s body and she found herself gripping Kara’s arm. She looked up at Kara with the most charming expression she could muster.

“Kara,” Lena said, “do me a favour and dance with me.”

The woman blinked a few times before saying, “Uh, yeah, OK.”

Lena led her onto the dance floor. The orchestra was playing a particularly slow song and Lena was grateful for that. She placed them between the inner and outer ring of people dancing for an extra layer of protection. Lena had lost sight of the tuxedo man as she felt Kara’s hands slip down to her waist.

“You, um,” Kara murmured, “You look really pretty tonight, Lena.”

Lena glanced up at Kara. She looked quite nervous and Lena realised this whole situation must seem so sudden and odd to her.

“Kara, there’s someone trying to kill me.” Lena said calmly.

“What?” Kara asked, eyes growing wide.

Lena scanned the room and her eyes landed on him again. He was behind Kara, watching them. Lena was never more grateful to know that Kara was Kryptonian and therefore invulnerable.

“Man in the tux, to your left. He’s been eyeing me all night when he thinks I can’t see. He’s been blending in with the crowd and shadowing me.” Lena murmured as she swayed to the music.

Lena watched Kara change again. She didn’t look afraid at all. She seemed… angry? Protective, perhaps. She pulled Lena’s body closer towards her and straightened out her posture.

Murmuring in Lena’s ear, Kara said, “After this dance, I’ll walk you out. Tell Santiago to have the car ready.”

“Kara?” Lena asked, looking up at her with wide eyes,

“Just trust me.” Kara said, “Nothing bad will happen to you while I’m here.”

Something warm filled up Lena’s chest. Never in Lena’s life had someone treated her life this — with such reverence and care. Lena completely believed, superpowers or not, that Kara Danvers would protect her from anything.

She had to resist the urge to ruin her own lipstick. Instead, she clenched her jaw and nodded. She would be OK. She had Kara.

_moments later_.

The song ended far too quickly for Lena. Once the music stopped, Kara placed her hand on the small of Lena’s back and led her away from the centre of the room. They quickly said the goodbyes and grabbed their coats on the way out — Kara’s hand never left her back once.

Lena could feel the man following them as they walked. She could hear his shoes slapping against the marble floor. He was gaining up on them. Lena leaned into Kara’s side, looking for a sense of security.

That’s when Kara stopped walking. Lena felt her heart drop into her stomach. Why was she stopping? He was going to catch up, what—

“Hey!” Kara said, all smiles as she looked at him, “You lost, too?”

The man said nothing as he continued stomping over to them. Lena looked between them frantically. What was Kara thinking? Oh God, what if—

“God, these galas are a nightmare, aren’t they?” Kara said, casually, “You know, I loved the food personally but the music was pretty boring, amirite?”

He was five feet away now. Four. Three—

He pulled out his gun and pointed it right at Lena. It felt like time had slowed around them as she looked down the barrel of the gun. Was this it? Was this how she died? Without accomplishing a fraction of her goals?

Time suddenly sped up. Kara’s hand shot out and the gun went flying against the wall. There was a sickening crunching sound and Lena flinched away. The man let out a roar of pain. Kara took a step towards him, reeled back and punched him right in the mouth.

Another crunching sound. Lena suddenly remembered that Kara was Kryptonian and that punch probably felt like a flying concrete fist landing against his teeth.

The man nearly flew backwards and hit the floor with a thump. He groaned but didn’t get back up. He didn’t look conscious from what Lena could see.

Kara looked back at Lena, wide-eyed. She remembered that she wasn’t supposed to know about Kara’s super-strength.

Feigning surprise, Lena said, “Oh my God, Kara…”

Kara stammered for a moment before saying, “That, uh, it’s just all in the hips, y’know? A real _whapow_—“

She was rambling. They didn’t have time for rambling, they needed to go. Now.

“Kara.”

Kara adjusted her glasses and walked towards Lena, murmuring, “Right, yes, coming.”

Lena might have laughed at how cute Kara was being but an assassination attempt on your life can really put a person in a bad mood.

* * *

Kara had made sure Lena was alright the entire drive back home. From verbal comfort to physical touch, Kara hadn’t left Lena alone with her own thoughts and she was grateful. Assassination attempts never got easier to handle, funnily enough.

When Santiago pulled up to Lena’s building, Lena had a primal urge to ask Kara to come upstairs and spend the night with her. She really didn’t want to be alone right now. But she also knew that she shouldn’t get attached to someone like this.

Lena needed to deal with this herself. No matter how much Kara’s arms felt like home.

“Thank you for taking her home, Santiago.” Lena murmured.

He smiled at her from the rear window and said, “Not a problem, Ms Luthor.”

Kara’s hand wrapped itself around Lena’s wrist. Lena looked at her and felt her breath disappear from her lungs. Kara was looking at her with so much _longing_ that it physically hurt to look at her.

“Are you sure you should stay here alone?” Kara asked, “I can totally stay the night with you. I can sleep on the floor or the couch or—“

Lena smiled, saying, “That’s sweet, Kara. Thank you.”

Feeling emboldened, Lena leaned over and kissed Kara on the cheek. It wasn’t an overtly romantic gesture, friends could kiss their friend’s cheek. And Lena quite enjoyed the way Kara’s face lit up.

_She’s straight_, Lena had to remind herself.

“But I’ll be fine.” Lena said, adding, “I know my brother. He wanted to send a message. He failed. He’ll slither back into his hole before he tries again. But thank you… for caring.”

It was so odd to have a friend like Kara Danvers. Someone kind, trustworthy and protective. Lena wondered what her life might’ve been like if she had met her earlier.

Kara’s grip on Lena’s wrist tightened as she said, “You’re my friend, Lena. Of course I care.”

_Friend_. It was good that Kara used that term. Lena was beginning to forget her place in this relationship. Lena gave her one last smile before turning to leave. Kara let go of her hand.

Just as she placed her hand on the door handle, Lena heard Kara say, “Call me, at least? When you get inside?”

Lena smiled to herself. She glanced back at Kara and said, “I can do that.”

That was all Kara needed to hear. She melted into the leather seats and let Lena go. Lena watched the car drive off with her phone grasped tightly in her pocket.

She didn’t breathe — truly breathe — again until that phone was pressed to her ear and Kara’s voice filled her head.


	6. vi.

Life was good for Lena Luthor. L-Corp stocks were high, there were no recent attempts on her life and the weather was nice for once. Not to mention Lena was having lunch with her favourite person in the whole world.

Kara Danvers was leaning against the railing on Lena’s office balcony, glancing down at the world below. The sun was beginning to set and it bathed the city in a warm yellow glow. Kara seemed to glow along with it, and Lena couldn’t tear her eyes away. She had known Kara for months now and she never seemed to adjust to how beautiful Kara was.

Speaking of Kara, the woman seemed quite anxious. Usually by now, Kara would’ve gone home and Lena would be doing work. But today was a rare slow-day and Lena invited Kara to stay longer. And Kara just couldn’t stand still.

“Kara?” Lena asked, tilting her head.

Kara’s eyes snapped up to look at Lena. She smiled at the woman in the hopes that she might calm down.

“Are you OK?” Lena asked, adding, “You seem a bit nervous.”

Kara chuckled awkwardly and adjusted her glasses. Lena never got tired of that habit.

“Yeah, I just,” Kara began saying, “I gotta talk to you about something but I’m not sure where to start.”

Lena’s heart stopped beating in her chest. Could it be? Was Kara about to tell her her secret? Was Lena even ready for this conversation?

Steeling her nerves, Lena reached out and held Kara’s hand that hung off the railing. Kara’s hand was impossibly warm. Thank her Kryptonian body for that.

“You know you can talk to me about anything, Kara.” Lena said gently.

Kara adjusted her glasses again. Lena swallowed down the lump in her throat. This was it.

“Right, uh… I don’t even know where to start,” Kara said, avoiding Lena’s gaze, “I’ve been thinking about this for a while now but there was just never a good time to bring it up. I never knew how to ask and I didn’t know how you’d react. It’s really important to me, t-this thing, and I wanted to, uh—“

Kara was stumbling over her words and Lena decided to put her out of her misery. Lena took a few steps forward until she was standing in front of Kara. The blonde woman’s chest began rising and falling quickly. Lena grabbed Kara’s hands in her own and smiled.

“Kara, it’s OK.” Lena said, “I know you’re a Kryptonian.”

Kara froze. Her mouth hung open and she looked at Lena with a horrified expression. Lena had expected this reaction — she had no doubt that Kara thought her secret was indecipherable. Truth be told, a secret alien identity was a pretty bizarre theory to begin with.

Lena squeezed her hands to comfort her, and this seemed to snap Kara out of her stupor.

“…I was going to invite you to games night. W-With my friends and sister.”

Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck.

Lena breathed out an, “_Oh_.”

Kara stammered out, “H-How do you know about… me?”

Lena blinked several times. Her whole world had turned on its’ head at this point. This was the worst possible situation she could’ve found herself in. She wanted to wait for Kara to tell her herself, when Kara was completely ready and not a moment before then.

She pulled her hands away from Kara and said, “Let’s talk inside.”

The two were seated on the couch inside. Kara seemed lost for words and honestly, Lena was too. What was she supposed to say?

“So,” Kara said, attempting to be casual, “how, um, did you figure it out?”

Lena glanced at her and curled a lock of hair behind her ear. Here went nothing.

“The detection device.” Lena began, licking at her lips, “That’s when I realised. You have heat vision and you knew exactly which wire to fire to get a reverse response. It was clever. But I had my suspicions before then.”

Kara looked at her with wide eyes, half-curious and half-frightened. They urged her to continue, to elaborate.

Lena said, “I told you about my plans for solar power. Using Kryptonian cells. One of my lab researchers mentioned that Superman would need to eat way more than humans to satisfy his metabolism. I thought of you. I pieced it together from there.”

Kara scoffed and said, “Of course you did.”

It wasn’t an unkind statement. Lena glanced at Kara who seemed lost in her own world. When Kara looked up, all Lena could see was pain.

“I’m sorry for keeping it from you. It’s just… it’s not something I like sharing with people. And the less people know, the less chance my loved ones could get hurt.” Kara said, a far-away look in her eyes.

Lena couldn’t imagine keeping such a monumental secret from the world, from her friends. It was enough to drive someone insane. Lena reached out and grabbed Kara’s hand in her own.

“Kara,” She said, as gently as possible, “I understand why you didn’t tell me. I forgave you a long time ago.”

Kara looked up at her with those sad, puppy-dog eyes and Lena crumbled. They were so trusting and inviting. How could such beautiful eyes hold so much pain? The moments ticked on and Lena realised they were still holding hands. Kara hadn’t pulled away yet — she saw no need to do so either.

Lena asked, “So, that story you told me. About the fire.”

Kara made a face and said, “Technically true.”

Lena wouldn’t force a confession out of Kara. If she wanted to talk about her past, she could. If she didn’t, Lena would simply drop the subject. There would be no hard feelings. This wasn’t an easy topic to discuss.

Kara said, “It ended in an explosion. In a single moment, my world imploded and I lost… _everything_. Kal-El — you know him as Superman — he was only a baby. They put me and him into escape pods. We were the only ones who made it out alive. It was my job to protect him but… you’ve seen him. He doesn’t need my protection.”

She sounded so lost. Lena wanted nothing more than to wrap her arms around Kara and protect her from everything in this universe. But she held herself back. This was a delicate situation and she refused to overwhelm Kara for her own personal needs.

Instead, Lena asked, “Why is Superman older than you?”

That question had been bothering Lena for a long time. It would be nice to get an answer.

“My pod entered a fifth dimension. My people called it the Phantom Zone. It’s where we sent all our criminals. It’s suspended in time. Nothing ages in there. Somehow, I got pulled out and I landed on this planet. Kal-El was already Superman by then and he didn’t need me anymore. He gave me to the Danvers.” Kara said, her voice void of any emotion.

Lena couldn’t imagine that. Being trapped in time for years after watching your planet explode, then being dumped on a completely new planet by the only family you have left. Lena felt a surge of hatred towards the Man of Steel in that moment. How could he just leave a child like that? His only remaining family, no less. Lena turned her hatred for Superman into concern for Kara.

Squeezing Kara’s hand, she said, “That must’ve been horrible for you.”

“I hated everything. I hated Kal-El for leaving me with aliens who didn’t speak my language or understand my culture. I hated the Danvers for making me act human. I hated my powers the most, though.” Kara murmured.

It was like Kara was speaking about the weather. She sounded so detached from the story, like she hadn’t experienced it first-hand. Was that how Kara coped? Disassociation?

“Things got better, though.” Kara said, “I got better at being _human_. I’m not human, though. Kal-El can pretend he’s one of them because he was raised here but I can’t. Powers or no powers, I was raised on Krypton — I am a Kryptonian.”

Lena supposed she understood why Superman left Kara with the Danvers now. As funny as it sounded, Kara was _alien_ to him. Kara was a Kryptonian through-and-through. She had no attachment to Earth like he did. Kara had lived on a planet that he only understood through secondhand information. Kara was everything Superman could never be. He probably didn’t want to be reminded on this fact every time he looked at Kara.

Kara smiled and said, “You know, it was easiest part about being on Earth was falling in love with the animals — Krypton barely had any animals but this planet, it’s just teeming with life. Birds didn’t even _exist_ on Krypton. Animals were easy to understand. Humans, not so much.”

Lena’s heart broke. Is that why Kara immersed herself in animals? Because she hated being reminded that she didn’t understand humans? That she didn’t fit in? And Lena couldn’t imagine the awe Kara must’ve felt when she begun learning about animals on Earth after being on Krypton.

Krypton.

“Kara?” Lena asked.

The woman looked up at her. Lena was almost afraid to say her next words.

“Tell me about Krypton.”

Kara paused for a moment. Then, Lena watched a smile break out on her face and a wet shine appear over blue eyes.

“I would love to.” Kara said.

Lena sat closer to Kara. The anxious tension that once hung in the air was gone. She wanted Kara to know that she trusted her, that she was comfortable with sitting so close to her. She wanted Kara to know that nothing would change.

“I’m from Kandor. It was Krypton’s capital city, where all the guilds were and where all inter-galatic business was conducted. My family was part of the Science Guild—“ Kara was cut off.

Lena asked, “Is that why you went into a science field here on earth?”

Kara smiled, saying, “Yeah. It was like… like I was honouring them in a way. Like Krypton still lives on in me. Uh, anyway… Krypton was _big_. Like _massive_ compared to Earth. And we had a red sun so everything looked a lot different to Earth. We worshipped the sun — _Rao_, he was called. The god above all other gods.”

“Krypton biomes were also a lot different to Earth. I paint them sometimes, just to have a permanent reminder of what they looked like. We had things like forests made entirely made of glass, the Boiling Sea, the Fire Falls—“ Kara was cut off once again.

For one, Lena was very interested in the fact that Kara took painting as a hobby. She made a mental note to have canvases and an assortment of paints delivered to Kara’s apartment within the week. But Lena was even more interested in ecosystems on Krypton. _A boiling sea_? What was the scientific explanation for that?

“_Fascinating_.” Lena said, eyes sparkling.

Kara smiled fondly at her, saying, “You would’ve been a good fit for the Science Guild. You’ve got the right mind for it.”

Lena understood the weight behind that compliment. It was as if Kara was extending a small piece of her heritage to Lena. Solemnly and with a smile, Lena said, “Thank you.”

There was one more question that Lena wanted to ask. And this lapse in the conversation seemed like the perfect moment.

“Kara,” Lena said, “What’s your real name?”

The two women stared at each other. It could’ve been hours that passed during that time and she wouldn’t have known. Slowly, Kara came to a decision. She straightened out her back and tilted her chin up. This wasn’t Kara Danvers, anymore.

“My name is Kara Zor-El, daughter of House El.” Kara said firmly.

“Zor-El.” Lena said, letting the name roll off her tongue.

Lena loved it. _Kara Zor-El_.

Kara said, “That’s not an ’S’ on Kal-El’s chest. It’s the symbol of my house. _El mayarah _— stronger together.”

It was such a sad saying in hindsight. Stronger together. But they weren’t together anymore, were they? And the remaining members of the family probably haven’t spoken in years. Where was the strength?

Lena answered her own question by looking at Kara. There. There was the strength of House El. The last daughter of Krypton that carried the legacy of a dead race on her shoulders every single day and still found a reason to smile and make people happy.

Squeezing Kara’s hand, Lena said with as much conviction as she could muster, “I don’t know much about your family, Kara. But I think they’d be proud of who you are today.”

Lena was certainly proud of her.

With tears pricking her eyes, Kara looked away and murmured, “Thank you.”

_later._

Time passed from then. Kara continued to tell Lena about Krypton and Lena hung onto every word. After months of knowing Kara, Lena was finally seeing the real her. Kara Zor-El, not Kara Danvers. Lena hadn’t even realised it was well into the night until Jess came into her office to inform her that she was going home. That had put an end to any talk of Krypton so Lena decided it was time to wrap things up.

Even if she still wanted to pick apart Kara’s brain some more.

Instead, Lena handed Kara a USB drive with a small smile.

“I’d like you to have this.” She said.

Kara glanced at it, asking, “What’s on it?”

The two women were standing in front of each other now, face to face. Lena took a moment to study Kara’s face. Now that she knew Kara was from another planet, it was suddenly surreal that she was standing in front of Lena. Thousand of light years between their two homes and, somehow, Kara found her way here. To Lena.

“A collection of everything Lex knew about Kryptonians. Plans for anti-Kryptonian weapons and locations for weapon vaults, included.” Lena said, adding, “I want you to trust me, Kara.”

There would be no more secrets between them. It was an unspoken promise.

Kara pocketed the USB and said, “I do. I do trust you, Lena. Thank you for giving me this.”

Before Lena realised what was happening, Kara had pulled her in for a hug. Lena was suddenly surrounded by Kara and she melted into the embrace. Kara was safety, and warmth, and everything good in this universe. Star dust probably ran through her veins.

Maybe they hugged for longer than necessary. Maybe Lena didn’t want to let go. But eventually they did and Lena nearly whimpered at the empty feeling that followed.

“Who knew?” Lena said with a smile, “A Luthor and a Super, working together again.”

Kara smiled and scratched the back of her neck, saying, “Well, I’m not exactly a Super.”

Lena imagined Kara in a supersuit like her cousin. The symbol of House El displayed on her chest with a red cape flowing in the breeze behind her. And pants. Definitely pants.

“I don’t know. You’d look good in a cape.” Lena said.

The two broke out into giggles. Everything was right with the world in that moment. When the laughter died down, Lena remembered what Kara’s original question was. The misunderstanding that brought them to this moment.

She said, “Oh, and Kara?”

“Yeah?” Kara asked, tilting her head.

Lena licked her lips and said, “I hope that invitation to games night is still valid.”

The joy in Kara’s eyes was enough to make Lena’s knees weak.

“It always will be.”

* * *

Lena went home that day with a light heart. She told herself that all her doubts had turned to ashes. That she had nothing to worry about anymore. Kara had confessed to Lena her biggest secret and they were stronger than ever. She told herself that nothing would change between them.

She truly believed that.

* * *

In the end, Lena’s whole world changed when Kara saved that plane from crashing into National City.


End file.
